A series of data-driven developments reported in March 2026 using Alphaliner proprietary datasets and AIS-supported vessel tracking highlight how geopolitical disruption, fleet expansion, and market dynamics are reshaping the container shipping landscape.
The latest insights reveal unprecedented AIS disruption levels near the Strait of Hormuz, constrained vessel mobility in the Gulf region, continued strength in the charter market, and new capacity milestones across the global fleet.
AIS Signal Disruption Reached Record Levels Near the Strait of Hormuz
AIS-based vessel monitoring reported in March shows that signal disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has reached peak levels.
At one point, 65 container ships were recorded with lost or manipulated signals, representing the highest level of disruption observed in the region. This compares with a peak of just 32 vessels during the June 2025 conflict, highlighting a significant escalation.
As of 10 March, 48 container ships in the area west of the Strait were still operating with AIS turned off or spoofed positions. Disruption remained consistently elevated over several days, indicating a sustained breakdown in reliable vessel tracking.
This has created a highly opaque operating environment, complicating real-time monitoring and risk assessment for carriers and stakeholders.
Container Ship Movements Through Hormuz Collapse as Vessels Remain Trapped
The operational consequences of the Gulf disruption were clearly visible in vessel movement data.
No container ships had exited the Persian Gulf since 5 March, when a sub-3,000 TEU vessel was last recorded transiting outward. At the same time, 131 container ships remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, unable to safely transit the chokepoint.
Broader maritime data showed that over 1,000 merchant vessels were currently concentrated in the region, reflecting a severe bottleneck in global shipping flows.
Incidents affecting vessels in the area further underlined the risk environment. Among those impacted was the ONE MAJESTY, a 6,700 TEU container ship that was struck while anchored alongside other vessels.
Despite these conditions, a handful of ships continued transiting the Strait, including a 2,500 TEU container ship entering the Gulf, highlighting the extremely limited and selective nature of current movements.
Charter Market Remained Strong Despite Regional Disruption
Data reported in March shows that the container ship charter market continues to perform strongly, with no immediate negative impact from the Middle East conflict.
Demand for tonnage remains high across vessel sizes, and charter rates are holding at robust levels. The availability of open tonnage remains constrained, particularly for larger ships, supporting continued firm pricing.
Forward fixing remains widespread, with carriers securing multi-year employment contracts ranging from two to five years. This applies not only to large vessels but also to modern smaller units.
Interestingly, the expected positive impact of disrupted Gulf operations on charter demand has not fully materialized. While around 140 container ships are effectively tied up or delayed, carriers are also shortening or suspending certain services, which reduces the need for replacement capacity.
As a result, the market remains strong, but the relationship between disruption and demand is more complex than initially expected.
Gulf Conflict Kept Vessel Idling Low
Fleet utilization data reported in March confirmed that container ship idling remains extremely low, despite ongoing disruption.
Alphaliner recorded 90 commercially idle ships, representing just 0.7 percent of the global fleet, indicating a fully employed market.
However, this figure does not include vessels affected by the Gulf situation. At least 73 container ships, representing close to 400,000 TEU, are currently diverted or sheltered due to the conflict. These ships are not counted as idle but are effectively unavailable to the market.
This “forced inactivity” further tightens supply, helping maintain high utilization levels despite operational challenges.
Additionally, growing congestion at alternative gateway ports such as Sohar, Jeddah, and Mersin is expected to increase effective demand for capacity, particularly if disruptions persist.
Global Fleet and Capacity Reached New Milestones
Alongside disruption-driven trends, structural fleet growth continues.
The global fully cellular container fleet has now surpassed 6,700 vessels, reaching 33.6 million TEU of capacity. Total fleet capacity across all vessel types is approaching 34 million TEU.
At the carrier level, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company continues to expand, approaching 1,000 vessels and 7.26 million TEU, representing 21.5 percent of global capacity.
Orderbook data shows aggressive expansion plans among several major carriers. Evergreen, CMA CGM, and COSCO all maintain orderbooks exceeding 39 percent of their current fleets, while Wan Hai stands out with a ratio of 73 percent.
Fleet structure also varies significantly across carriers. Some operators, such as HMM and Evergreen, rely heavily on owned vessels, while others like ONE and Yang Ming maintain more asset-light strategies through chartered tonnage.
Capacity deployment on the Far East–Europe trade lane has reached new highs.
Weekly deployed capacity exceeded 530,000 TEU, setting a new record for the corridor and surpassing the previous milestone recorded just weeks earlier.
This reflects continued demand on the route, combined with cascading effects from global network adjustments and fleet expansion.
Key Takeaways
- AIS disruption near the Strait of Hormuz has reached record levels
- Over 130 container ships remain unable to exit the Gulf
- Charter markets remain strong despite geopolitical instability
- Vessel idling stays low due to capacity being tied up
- Global fleet capacity and Far East–Europe deployment hit new records
Stay Ahead with the Latest Insights
The container ship data trends reported in March 2026 highlight a market shaped by both structural growth and geopolitical disruption.
While fleet expansion and strong charter demand continue to support utilization, regional instability is creating bottlenecks that are distorting traditional supply dynamics.
AXSInsights is one of many solutions available in the Alphaliner platform providing real-time data visibility and remains essential for understanding how capacity is deployed and where pressure points are emerging.
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