The Red Sea has re-emerged as a major disruption zone after two ships were sunk in early July, ending months of relative calm and pushing back any hopes of a return to normal Suez Canal routing.

Asia-Europe services will continue detouring around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 days to transit times, tying up reefer containers, and keeping upward pressure on freight rates.

On the pricing front, carriers have successfully defended price floors, halting a 30% slide in westbound Asia-Europe rates with April general rate increases signaling that shipping costs will likely stay elevated enough to plan budgets accordingly, without banking on relief from cheaper freight.

Adding to this dynamic, Maersk’s push for higher schedule reliability through its Gemini alliance is paving the way for the introduction of premium rates tied to service dependability.



The products most exposed to these disruptions include Asia-origin whitefish such as cod, pollock, and haddock processed in China for EU markets, which will be among the first hit by reefer shortages.

Warm water shrimp from India and Vietnam are also at risk, particularly during the pre holiday export surge. Pelagic species and value-added salmon routed through Asia face tighter delivery windows, making premium or reliability focused services a worthwhile safeguard for time sensitive retail programs.

Our recommendation is that European buyers should pull purchase orders forward by two to three weeks, secure reefer containers early, maintain 10–20 days of safety stock, and tighten contracts with KPIs on rollover rates and transshipment dwell times.

With Red Sea diversions likely to persist into 2026, the next 90-120 days will require disciplined planning. Early booking, strong carrier relationships, and enhanced shipment visibility will be key to protecting supply and margins through Q4.

Sustainability continues gaining prominence with shippers being urged to cut CO₂ emissions through network optimization, higher load factors, and modal shifts.



With the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) charges now standard, buyers should seek transparent CO₂ breakdowns and explore low-carbon service options. By 2030, cleantech and alternative-fuel vessel capacity is expected to double, reshaping the Europe-Asia trade.

Meanwhile, Hapag-Lloyd’s “Live Position” tracking points toward wider adoption of real-time reefer monitoring, allowing tighter cold chain control and faster temperature alerts.

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