Between January 2019 and February 2022, utilization of container ship capacity became an issue. In January 2019, about 2.9 percent of the global container fleet capacity was unutilized. In February 2022, this figure grew to 11.6 percent, primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the worldwide supply chain. Delays of container ships and trade imbalances were among the main reasons for the low capacity utilization rate in 2021 and 2022.
Schedule reliability of container carriers dropping
With less capacity available and demand for container shipping not decreasing, container freight rates have reached record-high levels. While throughout 2019, the global container freight rate index oscillated between 1,262 U.S. dollars and 1,720 U.S. dollars, it started to rise steeply at the end of 2020, reaching its peak in September 2021 at 10,361 U.S. dollars.
Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022
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Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022
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Sea-Intelligence. (April 5, 2022). Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 30, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/
Sea-Intelligence. "Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022." Chart. April 5, 2022. Statista. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/
Sea-Intelligence. (2022). Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 30, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/
Sea-Intelligence. "Share of The Global Container Fleet Capacity Lost Due to Port Congestions and Vessel Delays from 2019 to 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Apr 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/
Sea-Intelligence, Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/ (last visited April 30, 2025)
Share of the global container fleet capacity lost due to port congestions and vessel delays from 2019 to 2022 [Graph], Sea-Intelligence, April 5, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1301512/share-container-fleet-capacity-not-utilized/
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