Containers: uncertainty reigns as tariff turmoil and overcapacity looms
- A 90-day US-China tariff reprieve offers short-term relief and financial reward for carriers, but trade war instability continues to cloud the market
- Excessive additions to the liner orderbook threatens to destabilise the market
- Prospect of Red Sea reopening later in the year could flood the market with latent capacity, exacerbating an already dim picture of overcapacity
Container shipping in 2025 remains volatile, with Trump’s trade policies fuelling uncertainty. While the global trade war dominates headlines, a more pressing and all too familiar issue looms: overcapacity
