Boxes accumulate where imports exceed exports and drain from where the reverse is true. Carriers reposition empties only when the cost of moving them is lower than the revenue foregone, which means shortages persist in some corridors long after they have cleared elsewhere. The headline "container shortage" almost always describes a specific lane rather than the world.
For a shipper the practical consequences are booking lead time and equipment type. Special equipment — flat racks, open tops, reefers — tightens first and loosens last. If a project needs out-of-gauge kit in a constrained corridor, that conversation belongs months ahead of the shipment, not weeks.
Harbour Strategies (HK) Limited · 20 May 2025
Editorial commentary by Harbour Strategies. Figures and regulatory details should be verified against primary sources before being relied upon.
