Sea‑Intelligence: Structural Shift in Blank Sailing Strategies

Data from Sea‑Intelligence’s Blank Sailings Tracker shows that blanked capacity in 2026‑1H is growing significantly faster than overall capacity growth when compared against 2019‑1H across the major East‑West trade lanes.

On the Asia‑North America East Coast trade lane, scheduled capacity grew by 46%, but blanked capacity surged by 215%. The Asia‑Mediterranean trade lane experienced a 56% capacity expansion countered by a 159% increase in withdrawals. This sharp divergence continues on the Asia‑North Europe trade lane, where a 20% capacity rise was offset by an 83% jump in withdrawn space, and the Asia‑North America West Coast trade lane, which recorded 16% total capacity growth against a 62% increase in blanked capacity.