Hormuz crisis: container transit times and routing disruptions intensify

The world’s largest container shipping lines are taking increasingly different approaches on Asia–North Europe trade routes, with implications for timber, building materials and other commodity flows. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the largest carrier by fleet capacity, is expanding the number of port calls on its Albatros and Britannia services. Across its Asia–North Europe network, MSC averages 12.6 port calls per full rotation, with the Britannia service reaching up to 20 ports per roundtrip. The approach reflects a strategy focused on direct port-to-port connections. This contrasts with the model adopted by the Gemini ...