Between the fourth quarter of 2025 and April 2026, the average speed of the containership fleet decreased by 2.3%, from 15.58 to 15.22 knots. This sharp slowdown took place almost entirely in the period after the 28th February.
The news comes from Alphaliner, which points out that on 14th April the average speed was down to 15.18 knots, the lowest level since March 2023.
The main reason for this slowdown is the surge in fuel prices. In Singapore, VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) and LSMGO (Low Sulphur Marine Gas Oil) reached record highs of $1,201 and $2,018 per tonne on 13th March and 3rd April respectively.
Although the crisis in the Gulf is affecting the entire sector, the impact on transit times varies across different trade routes.
The most significant slowdowns have been on north-south routes. Routes from the Far East to South America and Oceania saw a 3.6% drop in speed
Long ocean crossings make speed reductions even more beneficial, and these services usually offer sufficient flexibility to accommodate slow steaming without disrupting the frequency of sailings.
Trans-Pacific and Transatlantic routes have also been affected by rising fuel prices: speeds have decreased by 2.2% on routes to the US East Coast, by 1.8% on routes to the West Coast, and by 1.5% in the North Atlantic.
Translation by Giles Foster
