Empty Containers Piling Up! Share Rises to 41%!
Publish Time: 2025-09-19 Origin: Site
Recently, an analysis report from Sea-Intelligence shows that the global proportion of empty container transportation is continuing to climb.
Based on calculations using container volume (teu-miles), Sea-Intelligence derived the transportation ratio of empty containers to loaded containers, and found that the current volume of empty container transportation accounts for 41% of the total container capacity.
The agency pointed out: "Currently, for every 10 miles of loaded containers transported, 4.1 miles of empty containers need to be transported in supporting—representing a significant jump from the 3.1 miles recorded before the 2019 pandemic disrupted the market."
During the pandemic, it was common practice to prioritize shipping empty containers back to Asia for reloading before returning them to the United States. The report also emphasized that this upward trend has persisted for five years, with only a brief and slight decline in 2022.
While some ports are piled high with empty containers, others are struggling with a shortage of containers. This unbalanced distribution of containers is becoming increasingly prominent.
Asian ports often face container shortages due to their huge export volumes, while North American and European ports tend to have excess containers as their import volumes far exceed exports.
As of August 1, a total of 49 container ship sailings had been blanked at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Along with the large number of blank sailings, a large number of empty containers have been stranded at the ports.
In early August, Chittagong Port in Bangladesh suspended operations due to an excessive number of empty containers.
The Chittagong Port Authority issued a notice stating that the number of empty containers has repeatedly exceeded the storage capacity of the yard. This overflow has caused delays in key operations, especially in the delivery of full import containers and the stacking and storage of newly unloaded containers.
A reminder to all shippers and freight forwarders: Pay close attention to global shipping dynamics. Before shipping goods, check sailing schedules and freight rate information, and make sound cargo transportation plans.