Global Carriers Announce Large-Scale Blank Sailings Ahead of China’s 2025 Golden Week

As China’s 2025 National Day Golden Week approaches, the global container shipping industry is bracing for significant disruptions. Major carriers—including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd—have announced extensive blank sailing programs. While these schedules reflect the traditional holiday slowdown in Asia, they also underscore the severe challenges currently facing the global ocean freight market.

MSC: Expanded Blank Sailings Across Key Trade Lanes

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is implementing one of the most comprehensive blank sailing programs during this year’s holiday period.

* Timeframe: Late September through mid-October 2025

* Impacted Trade Lanes: Asia–North Europe (e.g., AE55/Silk), Asia–Mediterranean, and selected Trans-Pacific services

* Key Ports: Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen; Rotterdam, Hamburg, Los Angeles/Long Beach

According to *Lloyd’s List* (September 2025), MSC’s scale of capacity withdrawal is larger than in previous years. The report highlights that MSC’s frequency of capacity adjustments in the first three quarters of 2025 increased by approximately 15% compared to the same period in 2024—a clear signal of its strategy to counter falling freight rates with proactive capacity management.

Maersk: Aggressive Cuts Including Year-Round Suspension of TP9

As the world’s second-largest container line, Maersk has taken particularly bold measures.

 1. Full-Year Suspension of TP9 (Asia–US West Coast)

* Final Sailing: September 23, 2025, from Xiamen

* Chinese Ports: Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai

* US Ports: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland

* Resumption: Not yet announced (full-year suspension)

Maersk’s September 10 customer advisory explained the decision as being driven by *“current supply-demand conditions and long-term network optimization.”* TP9 has long been a key link between China’s manufacturing hubs and the US West Coast, making its suspension a notable development in the carrier’s Trans-Pacific strategy.

 2. Additional Seasonal Blank Sailings

* Trans-Pacific:

  * TP2: One sailing voided in Week 40 (week of Sept 30)

  * TP6: Consecutive void sailings in Weeks 41–42 (Oct 7–20)

* Asia–Europe:

  * AE1: Two sailings voided in Weeks 39–40 (Sept 23–Oct 6)

  * AE5: One sailing voided in Week 41 (week of Oct 7)

Affected ports include Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Hong Kong, as well as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, and Felixstowe. Industry observers note that the scope and frequency of Maersk’s adjustments this year significantly exceed prior years, reflecting its concern over weak demand.

Hapag-Lloyd: Broad Coverage Across Trans-Pacific, Europe, and Intra-Asia

German carrier Hapag-Lloyd has also released a detailed program spanning multiple trades.

 1. Trans-Pacific Services

* WC2: One-week suspension in Week 40 (Sept 30), affecting Shanghai, Ningbo, Los Angeles, Oakland; resuming in Week 41

* US1: Suspended in Weeks 39, 42, and 44, covering Yantian, Xiamen, Shanghai, Busan, New York, Norfolk; resuming in the following weeks

 2. Asia–Europe & Mediterranean Services

* FE1: Voids in Weeks 40–41 (Sept 30–Oct 13)

* FE3: Void in Week 39 (Sept 23)

* MD1: Void in Week 41 (Oct 7)

* MD3: Void in Week 40 (Sept 30)

 3. Intra-Asia Services

* ID1 (Indonesia): Void in Week 39

* IN1 (India): Void in Week 40

In its September 8 advisory, Hapag-Lloyd stated that these blank sailings are *“based on demand forecasts and fleet optimization strategies, designed to improve efficiency and service reliability.”*

Market Context: Rates Under Pressure, Demand Weakening

The backdrop to these capacity cuts is a challenging rate environment and slowing export demand.

* Drewry’s September 2025 World Container Index:

  * Global average rates down 23.7% year-on-year

  * Trans-Pacific eastbound down 28.3%

  * Asia–Europe down 21.5%

* Shanghai Shipping Exchange CCFI (September 2025):

  * US West Coast index down 32.6% since January

  * Europe index down 27.8%

  * Mediterranean index down 25.4%

* China Customs (August 2025):

  * Export growth of just 2.1% YoY (vs. 8.7% in 2024)

  * Machinery & electronics up 1.8%

  * Textiles down 3.2%

  * Furniture down 5.7%

Blank Sailings for Rate Protection

According to *Sea-Intelligence* (September 2025), today’s blank sailing strategies differ fundamentally from those during the pandemic (2020–2022). Then, carriers reacted to congestion and supply chain bottlenecks; now, the cuts are proactive measures to balance supply with weaker demand and defend rate levels.

* Q3 2025 Capacity Withdrawal (Share of Total):

  * Global average: 18.3% (vs. 12.7% in Q3 2024)

  * Trans-Pacific: 21.5%

  * Asia–Europe: 19.8%

  * Intra-Asia: 15.2%

Conclusion

The large-scale blank sailing programs announced ahead of China’s Golden Week highlight the growing pressure on global carriers. With freight rates sliding, exports slowing, and demand remaining uncertain, carriers are increasingly relying on capacity management to stabilize the market. For shippers, this means heightened risks of space shortages, schedule disruptions, and shifting service options throughout the peak holiday season and beyond.