ports

Carriers Sacrifice Regional Networks to Stabilize Major Trade Routes

Global container shipping schedule reliability edged up to 63.2 percent in the second quarter. Carriers are accepting deteriorating performance on secondary routes to maintain service on core east-west corridors amid prolonged geopolitical disruption.

The modest improvement masks a fundamental restructuring of liner networks as shipping lines concentrate vessel deployment on the world's busiest tradelanes following the escalating Middle East and Africa crisis earlier in the year.

Performance on major trades significantly outpaced the global average. Transatlantic eastbound led at 72.5 percent, followed by a sharply recovered transatlantic westbound at 70 percent. Asia-North America East Coast, Asia-Mediterranean and Asia-North Europe all exceeded industry averages.

However, current reliability remains well below the 70-80 percent band that characterized pre-pandemic conditions from 2013 to 2020, signaling a structural shift rather than a return to historical norms.