Zencargo Market Update: 8th April 2025

Ocean

• In response to moderate rebound in ocean freight volumes in recent weeks, major shipping lines have announced a new General Rate Increase to start on April 15. Demand has increased, creating significant pressure on space in early April, especially on the main Far East–North Europe lanes.
• New blank sailings have been announced, tightening space further in the short term. Space is generally only available from the second half of April onward.
• New alliances are showing improved reliability at origin. Gemini achieved 100% on 2 out of 4 Asia -EUR services, MSC averaged 80%, while Ocean Alliance averaged below 60% due to full round trip impact still being measured.
• Congestion in European hubs (Rotterdam, Antwerp) continues to disrupt schedules. Carriers are adapting rotations accordingly.

Air

Central China to Europe:

• Shanghai (SHA): The market is steady and space has improved slightly week-on-week. Rates are stable this week and expected to decrease this weekend to the UK.
• Ningbo (NGB): Space remains stable. Slight rate decreases expected toward the end of the week. Advance booking recommended for preferred services.

North China to Europe:

• Tianjin (TSN): Rates remain elevated. Airlines like KE/OZ/JL provide earlier ETDs with better lead time (2–3 days recommended).
• Dalian/Beijing (DLC/PEK): Rates with most airlines are fluctuating. Spot rates are available for dense cargo. Volume shipments need 6–7 days’ notice and may require flight splits.
• Qingdao (TAO): Space to Europe is open, and rates have declined slightly. Airlines continue to offer spot pricing for heavier cargo.

South China to Europe:

• Guangzhou (CAN): The market should be slowing down this week but there will be no changes to rates. Airlines may cancel flights to maintain higher rates. 
• Shenzhen (SZX): The market is normal and all shipments should be checked with carriers on a case-by-case basis. 
• Xiamen (XMN): Freighter cancellations have constrained space. Final rates need to be checked on a case-by-case basis upon booking. 

Ocean

• Carriers implemented a General Rate Increase (GRI) in early April, resulting in higher rates on both West Coast and East Coast services. 
• Capacity is largely stable compared to last month, though select East Coast services have seen new blank sailings announced. Space availability remains reasonable at most key origins but may tighten toward the second half of April depending on booking volumes.
• No major equipment issues are reported across major load ports. Availability remains good across Asia, including at inland container depots.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) are not currently included in long-term agreements and continue to be reviewed by carriers as market dynamics evolve.
• Three out of four Gemini services on both the West Coast and East Coast have reached 100% schedule reliability.
• MSC is showing strong progress, averaging 82% schedule reliability on the West Coast and 68% on the East Coast.
• Within the Premier Alliance, three out of seven Transpacific services have achieved 100% schedule reliability.
• Carriers implemented a General Rate Increase (GRI) in early April, resulting in higher rates on both West Coast and East Coast services. 
• Capacity is largely stable compared to last month, though select East Coast services have seen new blank sailings announced. Space availability remains reasonable at most key origins but may tighten toward the second half of April depending on booking volumes.
• No major equipment issues are reported across major load ports. Availability remains good across Asia, including at inland container depots.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) are not currently included in long-term agreements and continue to be reviewed by carriers as market dynamics evolve.
• Three out of four Gemini services on both the West Coast and East Coast have reached 100% schedule reliability.
• MSC is showing strong progress, averaging 82% schedule reliability on the West Coast and 68% on the East Coast.
• Within the Premier Alliance, three out of seven Transpacific services have achieved 100% schedule reliability.

Air

Central China to USA:

• Shanghai (SHA): Space is tight, especially in the first half of the week. Post-April 9, space improves. 
• Ningbo (NGB): Rates have declined slightly this week and space is stable at present. 

North China to USA:

• Tianjin (TSN): The market is a bit busy this week and rates have increased. Allow 4-5 days ahead to book for space. 
• Dalian/Beijing (DLC/PEK): Rates with most airlines are increasing this week. Volume cargo will need 6-7 days in advance to book. 
• Qingdao (TAO): Market is stable this week to the U.S. Space is not very tight to both the U.S. West and East Coast. 

South China to USA:

• Guangzhou (CAN): The market should be slowing down this week but rates will not be changed. Airlines will cancel flight to maintain rate levels. 
• Shenzhen (SZX): Market is stable and all shipments should be checked with carriers on a case-by-case basis. 
• Xiamen (XMN): Space is under pressure due to flight cancellations. Rates are higher and confirmed on an ad hoc basis.

Ocean

• Overcapacity across India and Bangladesh has led to further softening of freight rates into Europe and the UK. The majority of carriers are reflecting downward adjustments in April FAK levels.
• The second half of March saw a modest drop in rates out of Chittagong. The adjustment is less steep than India’s.
• Inland container depots in North India are again facing equipment shortfalls. This continues to be a critical pressure point for exporters in the region.
• Throughput at key ports—Mundra, Colombo, and Nhava Sheva—has risen significantly year-on-year, largely driven by diverted volumes from the Red Sea crisis. 
• Colombo Port is ramping up capacity with the delivery of additional cranes. Terminal productivity is set to increase significantly by year-end, with further long-term expansion already in progress.

Ocean

• Spot rates have softened slightly, but demand remains strong, with vessels operating at full capacity from both North Europe and the Mediterranean. Exporters are frontloading cargo ahead of US tariff changes.
• Major European ports (e.g. Rotterdam, Antwerp) continue to face delays due to service realignments and labour-related disruptions. Berth waiting times and yard capacity constraints persist.
• Shortages of empty containers are being reported across Central and Eastern Europe (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, southern Germany), caused by slow turn-times and increased demand for export repositioning.
• Despite high demand, geopolitical uncertainty is casting a shadow. Tariff announcements are likely to influence forward bookings and shipping patterns in Q2. Carriers also report backhaul rates (e.g. NY–Rotterdam) remain under downward pressure due to excess empty container availability.

USA

• Los Angeles/Long Beach: 0 vessels waiting to berth. Rail dwell steady at 9 days.
• Oakland: 5 vessels waiting, with a 6-day rail dwell.
• Seattle and Tacoma: 1 vessel waiting. Rail dwell at 5 days.
• New York/New Jersey: 2 vessels waiting, with a 4-day rail dwell. Limited space at Berth 84 due to crane installation.

Benelux

Antwerp

• PSA 913: Yard utilisation remains very high at 90–95%, with reefer utilisation at 70–75%. Terminal coping well overall, though some short-lived bunching may occur due to the volume of vessel calls.
• PSA 869: Yard utilisation rose to 80–85%, with reefer utilisation also increasing to 75–80%.
• AGW: Yard utilisation stable at 65–70%, with reefer utilisation at 60–65%. Cargo opening times remain 5 days prior to vessel ETA.
• All terminals in Antwerp were impacted by fog this week, causing minor delays. A 24-hour nationwide strike was announced for Monday 31/03, which could disrupt arrivals and departures.

Rotterdam

• ECT: Yard utilisation rose again to 80–85%. Second modalities remain tight. Berth line-up continues at high utilisation levels.
• RWG: Yard utilisation remains high at 75–80%. Yard protection measures remain in place; productivity and feeder demand both remain elevated.
• DELTA II: Yard operating at 65–70%. Labour sufficient. No operational issues reported.
• APMT MVII: Yard on a healthy level of 70–75%, with strong productivity and throughput.

United Kingdom

• A £1bn expansion of DP World London Gateway will begin in May, including construction of two new berths and a second rail terminal to create the UK’s largest terminal. The four-year project will boost capacity to handle six of the world’s largest container vessels and create over 1,400 jobs.
• Peel Ports has appointed 18 contractors for a £750m, eight-year construction programme across its UK and Ireland sites, including Liverpool, Heysham, London Medway and Great Yarmouth. Projects include marine infrastructure, warehousing, drainage and intermodal facilities.
• Industry leaders are calling for continued government funding of the HGV Skills Bootcamps beyond 2025. Since launch, over 3,400 participants have completed training, with 2,695 receiving job offers. The scheme has helped diversify the workforce but without renewed funding, concerns are rising over a return to chronic driver shortages.

Europe Public Holidays

We anticipate a shortage of availability and the occurrence of delays around the bank holiday periods. Plan ahead and allow extra time for your products to be delivered.

• 17 Apr (Thu): Denmark, Portugal, Spain
• 18 Apr (Fri): Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Eire), Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden
• 19 Apr (Sat): Bulgaria, Sweden
• 20 Apr (Sun): Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden
• 21 Apr (Mon): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Eire), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
• 22 Apr (Tue): Cyprus
• 23 Apr (Wed): Spain
• 25 Apr (Fri): Italy, Portugal
• 26 Apr (Sat): Netherlands
• 27 Apr (Sun): Netherlands, Slovenia
• 1 May (Thu): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
• 2 May (Fri): Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, Spain
• 3 May (Sat): Poland
• 4 May (Sun): Austria, Latvia, Lithuania
• 5 May (Mon): Ireland (Eire), Latvia, Netherlands
• 6 May (Tue): Bulgaria
• 8 May (Thu): Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia
• 9 May (Fri): Luxembourg
• 15 May (Thu): Spain
• 17 May (Sat): Spain
• 24 May (Sat): Bulgaria
• 26 May (Mon): Bulgaria
• 29 May (Thu): Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden
• 30 May (Fri): Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Spain
• 31 May (Sat): Spain