Zencargo Market Update: 06 October 2026

Ocean

• Spot rates softened through the first half of October. Carriers have announced rate increases for the second half of the month, citing returning post-holiday demand and blank sailings that will reduce available capacity.
• Emergency Bunker Surcharge (EBS) levels are increasing this month
• Overall Far East to North Europe capacity is essentially flat year-on-year, while Far East to Mediterranean capacity has surged. Five new ships over 16,500 TEU are joining the North Europe trade in October.
• Space on Named Account Contracts (NACs) and Long Term agreements remains tightly controlled. With certain carriers restricting new space as they reduce overall space to clear Asian cargo backlogs, though FAK space generally remains available 7 to 10 days in advance.
• Several services are officially returning to the Suez Canal, including CMA’s OCR, Gemini’s NE4 and AE5, and Premier’s FE1. Other services are routing through the canal on a case-by-case basis to aid operational performance, while Evergreen remains entirely on the Cape route.
• Severe schedule disruptions continue due to vessel changes, port congestion, and blank sailings. Ongoing congestion is limiting the transit time benefits of the Suez Canal, with schedule reliability at Shanghai and Ningbo tracking exceptionally low at 12% to 17%.
• An estimated 13% of capacity will be removed in November due to post-Golden Week blank sailings. Eight void sailings are currently scheduled for North Europe in October.
• Industry schedule reliability for July and August tracked at 62.3% on the Asia-North Europe trade and 61.8% on the Asia-Mediterranean trade. Gemini led performance across both lanes (96.2% North Europe, 84.4% Med), followed by MSC (72.1% North Europe, 81.2% Med), Ocean Alliance (44.6% North Europe, 53.1% Med), and Premier Alliance (41.3% North Europe, 44.6% Med).

Rail

• Demand remains firm on the Europe lane, driven by a pre-holiday shipping rush ahead of the National Day holidays.
• Container leasing rates are trending upward across the board for key European and Central Asian destinations, with no inflection point currently in sight.
• Domestic trucking rates have also increased ahead of the holidays.
• October rail booking prices are mixed. Some origin benchmarks are rising while others have seen partial cuts, indicating that rail platform pricing is largely focused on pre-holiday schedule management rather than uniform rate increases.
• Pre-holiday rail slots are almost fully booked due to reduced capacity around National Day, with availability only expected to ease from mid-October onward.
• Duisburg-bound slots out of Chongqing are likely to remain particularly tight as priority is given to local cargo.
• Container owners are prioritising capacity for more profitable US trades, causing box shortages for Europe-bound freight at coastal ports such as Qingdao, Ningbo, and Tianjin.
• The pre-holiday rush has created temporary tightness in both rail slots and cross-border trucking capacity. The three main border crossings (Manzhouli, Alashankou, and Khorgos) are experiencing queues of two to seven days.
• This congestion is being compounded by scheduled border closures for National Day in early October, further restricting overall throughput.

Ocean

• First-half October FAK rates have been extended, maintaining the same pricing levels seen in the second half of September. This marks the first time in eight weeks without a rate increase on the trade.
• Overall container rates remain at their highest levels since mid-2022, supported by strong import demand, capacity losses, and origin port congestion. While the prepaid market is offering some competitive options, major carriers anticipate that disruptions and elevated rates will continue until at least November.
• Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) on Named Account Contracts (NAC) will continue throughout October, alongside separate Panama Canal Surcharges.
• MSC Diamond Tier space remains available, though allocation pressure has eased slightly as some capacity has been added to the trade.
• Overall capacity remains heavily restricted, with carriers announcing full ships until the second half of October. Shippers are strongly recommended to book three to four weeks in advance.
• Blank sailings will track at approximately 8% leading up to Golden Week but are expected to ease to 5% thereafter.
• Port congestion in China has seen slight improvements but is expected to worsen post-Golden Week. Lingering typhoon disruptions are still causing delays of roughly five days out of Shanghai and Ningbo.
• Congestion and limited daily transits continue at the Panama Canal. To bypass these restrictions, volume is increasingly being shifted from all-water routings to inland rail networks, driving up expected dwell times at all main rail ramps with pressure already evident at Los Angeles and Long Beach.
• Schedule reliability on the Asia to North America West Coast trade fell to 60.6% in July and August, representing an 8.8 percentage point month-on-month drop. The average delay for late vessels increased to just over six days. Swire led performance with 96.9% reliability, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 84.7%.
• On the Asia to North America East Coast lane, schedule reliability dropped 9.6 percentage points to 61.7% over the same period, with late vessel delays averaging 6.39 days. Maersk was the most reliable carrier on this route at 83.0%, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 77.5%.

Ocean

• October FAK rates from India are continuing to soften, with declines most pronounced out of Mundra and Nhava Sheva, while rates from South Indian ports such as Chennai and Tuticorin are seeing less severe drops.
• FAK rates out of Bangladesh (Chittagong) remain stable with very little movement.
• FAK space from India is generally healthy; while empty container shortages persist across the region, the severity of the issue has diminished. Space and container availability out of Chittagong is also currently stable.
• Schedule reliability for the trade lane decreased by 2.1% month-on-month during the July/August tracking period, falling to 62.2%.
• Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk recorded the highest schedule reliability at 92.3%, followed by MSC at 78.2% and CMA at 58%. Performance varied heavily by service loop, with MSC’s NWC IPAK service achieving 85.3% reliability, the joint MSC/CMA Australian Xpress/NEMO service tracking at 68.8%, and CMA’s EPIC service dropping to 47.7%.

Port operations:

• Mundra: The empty container yard dispute that caused significant disruptions throughout September was fully resolved on 1 October, and operations have now returned to normal.
• Nhava Sheva: Port congestion persists, with average vessel waiting times currently sitting at approximately 1.67 days. Shippers should also expect elevated container dwell times, truck congestion, and gate delays.
• Karachi: Congestion has increased as higher Middle East cargo volumes trigger additional customs exams, forcing long-stay containers to be moved to off-dock facilities.
• Chittagong: The port is experiencing slight operational disruptions, with yard occupancy running at 65% to 70%, remaining above the recommended 60% threshold.
• Colombo: Severe congestion is ongoing but easing slightly from early September peaks. Yard utilisation remains exceptionally high, with ships waiting an average of 2 to 3 days outside the harbour.

Ocean

• The Transatlantic market is tightening again as carriers maintain discipline to support a post-summer rate hike. MSC has implemented significant FAK rate increases from 1 October for US destinations, alongside a raft of additional fees including Peak Season Surcharges, EU ETS, and Panama Canal emergency fees for the West Coast. Other carriers are expected to follow suit within the next two weeks.
• Carriers are maintaining a 6% to 9% cancellation rate on Transatlantic Westbound routes. Significant schedule volatility is expected in mid to late October as ships delayed by China’s Golden Week arrive simultaneously with regular services, creating bunched double arrivals at Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg. Shippers should treat mid to late October schedules as placeholders and anticipate rolled cargo alongside last-minute blank sailings.
• Schedule reliability on the Transatlantic Westbound trade fell to 73.2% in July and August, representing a 1.8 percentage point month-on-month drop and a 4.7 percentage point year-on-year decline. 
• The average delay for late vessel arrivals currently stands at 4.18 days. ICL, Eimskip, and Marfret were the most reliable carriers on the lane with 100% reliability, followed by Maersk at 92.1%. Shippers are advised to add a 7 to 10 day buffer for US East Coast planning, as ETAs cannot be guaranteed.
• Global port congestion hit a four-year high in early October, with 12% of the global fleet stuck in queues. In Europe, Rotterdam yards are 85% to 90% full with 14-day dwell times as the port continues to clear backlogs from early September strikes.
• German ports face severe disruption risk; Hamburg and Bremerhaven yards are 88% full following a recent 48-hour warning strike, and a ballot for an indefinite strike starting 1 October presents a high risk to operations. Antwerp is performing better but still faces vessel waiting times of seven days due to regional knock-on effects.
• US port operations remain stable, though the New York chassis shortage continues. Pre-booking chassis equipment is essential for any trucking out of New York City.

Benelux

Ocean

• Antwerp PSA 913: Yard utilisation is at 75% to 80%, with reefer utilisation at 75% to 80%.
• Antwerp PSA 869: Yard utilisation stands at 70% to 75%, with reefer utilisation at 75% to 80%.
• Antwerp AGW: Yard utilisation has normalised to between 70% and 75%, with reefer utilisation at 70% to 75%.

Netherlands

Ocean

• Rotterdam ECT: Yard utilisation is at an elevated level of 75% to 80%.
• Rotterdam RWG: Yard utilisation remains at a critical level of 80% to 85%.
• Rotterdam Delta II: Yard utilisation is at a low level of 35% to 40%, with reefers at 30% to 35%.
• Rotterdam APMT MVII: Yard utilisation is at a higher level of 85% to 90%.

USA

Ocean

• Los Angeles/Long Beach: No vessels currently waiting (no change), though rail dwell remains elevated at 9 days.
• Oakland: 1 vessel waiting (down by 2), with a 6-day average rail dwell.
• Seattle/Tacoma: 1 vessel waiting (up by 1), with a 7-day dwell on the rail.
• Vancouver (Canada): 5 vessels waiting (up by 2), with a 5-day rail dwell.
• New York/New Jersey: 3 vessels waiting (up by 2), with a 4-day dwell on the rail.
• Savannah: 4 vessels waiting (up by 3), with a 4-day dwell on the rail.

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.

October 2026

• 9 October (Fri): Spain*
• 10 October (Sat): Austria*
• 11 October (Sun): Macedonia
• 12 October (Mon): Macedonia, Spain
• 14 October (Wed): Moldova*
• 23 October (Fri): Hungary, Macedonia
• 26 October (Mon): Austria, Ireland (Eire)
• 28 October (Wed): Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Türkiye*
• 29 October (Thu): North Cyprus, Türkiye
• 31 October (Sat): Finland, Germany*, Slovenia, Sweden, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)

November 2026

• 1 November (Sun): Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Croatia, France, Germany, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland*
• 2 November (Mon): Belgium*, Holy See (Vatican City), Lithuania, Monaco, San Marino, Spain

• 4 November (Wed): Russia
• 7 November (Sat): Belarus, Transdniestria (PMR)
• 9 November (Mon): Spain*, Transdniestria (PMR)
• 11 November (Wed): Austria*, Belgium, France, Poland, Serbia
• 13 November (Fri): Montenegro, Saint Helena
• 14 November (Sat): Montenegro
• 15 November (Sun): Austria*, Belgium*, Belgium*, North Cyprus
• 17 November (Tue): Czech Republic
• 18 November (Wed): Croatia, Germany*, Latvia
• 19 November (Thu): Monaco
• 21 November (Sat): Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH)*
• 22 November (Sun): Albania
• 23 November (Mon): Albania
• 25 November (Wed): Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH)*
• 28 November (Sat): Albania
• 29 November (Sun): Albania
• 30 November (Mon): Albania, Romania

December 2026

• 1 December (Tue): Albania, Portugal, Romania
• 3 December (Thu): Spain*
• 6 December (Sun): Finland, Spain, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)
• 7 December (Mon): Spain*
• 8 December (Tue): Albania, Andorra, Austria, Holy See (Vatican City), Italy, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland*
• 13 December (Sun): Malta
• 15 December (Tue): Guernsey and Alderney*
• 23 December (Wed): Estonia*
• 24 December (Thu): Andorra*, Austria*, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark*, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland*, Germany*, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Iceland*, Iceland*, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg*, Norway*, Poland, Portugal*, San Marino*, Slovakia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen*, Sweden*, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)*
• 25 December (Fri): Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH)*, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat), Guernsey and Alderney, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Eire), Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Helena, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden, Switzerland, UK (United Kingdom), Ukraine, Åland (Ahvenanmaa)

Traffic bans

06.10.26

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

07.10.26

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

08.10.26

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

09.10.26

• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00

10.10.26

• AT | Austria 15:00 – 24:00
• AT | Austria 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• FR | France 22:00 – 24:00
• LU | Luxembourg 21:30 – 24:00
• LU | Luxembourg 23:30 – 24:00
• CH | Switzerland 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00
• HU | Hungary 22:00 – 24:00
• LI | Liechtenstein 00:00 – 05:00; 22:00 – 24:00