Global Corporate Moving continues to be shaped by shifting routes, labour disruption and capacity pressure across major shipping networks. Carriers are returning more Asia–Europe services to the Suez Canal, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily restricted. Industrial action at German and Dutch ports, congestion at Chinese ports ahead of Golden Week and reduced transit capacity at the Panama Canal are all affecting schedule reliability. Organisations managing international relocations should allow additional lead time, remain flexible on routing and maintain close coordination with relocation providers.
Container shipping returns to the Suez Canal
More container services are returning to the Suez Canal as carriers move Asia–Europe networks away from the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have confirmed that four additional Gemini Cooperation services, AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2, will switch back to the Suez routing. They join the AE15 and AE19 services already operating through the canal.
On 16 September, the 24,188 TEU OOCL Portugal completed COSCO Shipping Lines’ first southbound transit of the canal since the Red Sea security crisis began. The Suez Canal Authority reports that container ship net tonnage through the canal reached 72.1 million tons in the first eight months of 2026, an increase of 54.2% on the same period last year.
Routing through Suez shortens Asia–Europe voyages and could reduce transit times as more services switch over. Security conditions in the southern Red Sea remain a risk, however, and carriers may change routings at short notice. During this transition, shipments could arrive earlier or later than originally scheduled.
Strait of Hormuz remains heavily restricted
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below normal levels. Maritime intelligence provider Windward recorded 12 vessel transits on 16 September, while Linerlytica reported that only two container ships made outbound passages in a single week in late August.
Cargo for Gulf destinations continues to move through alternative ports and overland connections. The higher costs, surcharges and schedule changes reported in previous updates still apply, and services into the region may be adjusted or withdrawn at short notice.
Industrial action disrupts German and Dutch ports
Workers at six German seaports, including Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven, held a 48-hour warning strike from 2 September, the second strike in the current wage dispute. Container terminal operations, including deliveries, collections and transhipment, were disrupted during the action.
Employers have since offered a 3.4% wage increase over 12 months, backdated to 1 August. Of more than 5,500 employees consulted by ver.di, 64.7% rejected the offer. The union is now holding a formal ballot until 1 October. If at least 75% of members vote in favour, its bargaining commission will decide whether to authorise indefinite strikes, which would mark a significant escalation of the dispute.
In the Netherlands, members of FNV Havens stopped work at the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Zeeland for eight hours on 4 September in protest at planned government cuts to social security. The Port of Rotterdam Authority reported longer waiting times for vessels and road traffic during the action.
Organisations should allow additional time for shipments routed through German and Dutch ports and prepare for knock-on delays should industrial action continue.
Asian port congestion and Golden Week reduce schedule reliability
Congestion at Chinese ports continues to disrupt vessel schedules following a series of typhoons. Linerlytica reported on 8 September that more than 4 million TEU of container ship capacity was tied up in port congestion, with waiting times of up to 12 days at Shanghai and Ningbo. Sea-Intelligence data shows global schedule reliability fell to 56.4% in July, its lowest level this year, with late vessels arriving an average of 6.06 days behind schedule.
China’s National Day holiday, known as Golden Week, runs from 1 to 7 October. Drewry expects 79 of 721 scheduled sailings on the main East–West trades to be cancelled between mid-September and mid-October, a cancellation rate of 11%. Linerlytica expects vessels to remain fully utilised through the holiday period as carriers work through the backlog.
Freight rates have remained broadly stable despite these pressures. The Drewry World Container Index rose 1% to US$4,500 per FEU on 17 September after holding steady for the previous two weeks. Further blank sailings and rolled bookings are expected on routes out of Asia, so early booking remains important.
Panama Canal transit restrictions take effect
Reduced transit capacity is now in place at the Panama Canal following below-average rainfall in the Canal watershed. Daily slots at the Neopanamax Locks fell to nine from 3 September, while capacity at the Panamax Locks reduced to 23 daily slots from 15 September. Between May and August, cumulative rainfall across the watershed was 34% below the historical average, with inflows 44% below average.
A further reduction in the maximum authorised draft at the Neopanamax Locks, to 14.48 metres, is scheduled for 1 October. The Panama Canal Authority has advised that a confirmed reservation is the only way to guarantee a specific transit date, so services using the canal may face longer waiting times and schedule changes.
Rotor sail pilot tests wind-assisted container shipping
A new containership pilot will test wind-assisted propulsion during normal commercial operations. Maersk has commissioned British supplier Anemoi Marine Technologies to install a 35 m rotor sail on an 8,700 TEU vessel from its Lima class in mid-2027.
The vessel will operate primarily on North and South Atlantic routes, allowing the carrier to assess performance and the technology’s potential use across its wider fleet.
Anemoi says this will be the first rotor sail installed on a containership. The technology uses the Magnus effect to generate additional thrust from wind, reducing demand on the main engine when conditions allow. It has already been deployed on bulk carriers, with designs also being developed for tankers and LNG carriers.
The single-sail project remains a limited trial, but it could provide useful evidence for the wider adoption of wind-assisted propulsion across container fleets.
US customs push threatens fresh supply chain headaches for importers
US importers could face a new layer of paperwork, technology requirements and potential cargo delays under plans being considered by US Customs and Border Protection to gain far greater visibility into international supply chains.
CBP has opened consultation on sweeping changes that could require importers to provide documentation originally filed with foreign customs authorities, identify more parties involved in producing and moving goods, and potentially deploy technology capable of tracing products further back through their supply chains.
The proposals are not yet regulations. CBP’s advance notice of proposed rulemaking, published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, asks industry for feedback before deciding what formal rules to pursue.
But the direction of travel points towards significantly greater compliance demands for companies shipping goods into the US.
Among the most consequential ideas is a requirement for importers to obtain foreign export declarations, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, export licences and transport documents submitted overseas before cargo is exported.
CBP is also considering whether such documents should accompany every customs entry, be retained for inspection, or be requested randomly. That raises obvious operational questions for global supply chains involving multiple factories, trading companies, freight forwarders and jurisdictions.
The agency is separately looking at replacing or expanding the existing manufacturer identification system, potentially requiring importers to identify manufacturers, shippers, exporters, sellers and even the ultimate intended recipient of cargo.
Earlier customs filings are also under consideration, potentially pushing documentation deadlines further upstream into the booking and export process.
Technology could become another requirement. CBP is exploring artificial intelligence, global business identifiers and supply chain tracing systems designed to identify illegal transhipment and verify the origin of raw materials.
The initiative follows a June executive order aimed at strengthening US customs enforcement, particularly against tariff evasion, forced labour, origin fraud and illegal transhipment.
Strategic considerations for organisations
Organisations managing international relocations should allow additional lead time for shipments moving through Asian and North European ports, particularly around Golden Week and while the German port dispute remains unresolved. Routing changes linked to the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz and the Panama Canal may affect transit times and costs at short notice. Early booking, flexible scheduling and close coordination with relocation providers remain important to maintain shipment visibility and manage risk across moving programmes.
Santa Fe Relocation continues to monitor market developments and regional conditions closely to support informed decision-making across Corporate Moving programmes. For further guidance, please contact your designated Santa Fe consultant.
Henk Schutte
Group Move Supply Chain Manager
Santa Fe Relocation