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As the quarter progressed, two realities became clear. Some trade lanes continued to be shaped by structural changes that have been building for multiple quarters. Others were disrupted by sudden geopolitical events, most notably the Middle East crisis at the end of February, which impacted specific corridors.
The result was not a uniform shift, but a network where transit performance varied sharply by lane.
This report goes beyond surface-level disruption. It shows how transit times actually behaved, where carrier schedules fell short, and which delay patterns are now structural, seasonal, or event-driven.
Transit Time Trends: Key Highlights from Q1 2026
Network-level insights
- A two-tier market emerged. Middle East-linked lanes diverged sharply from the rest of the network in transit time.
- The gap between planned and actual transit times persisted across major lanes, reinforcing a structural planning challenge.
- Cape of Good Hope routing remains the baseline for Asia–Europe, with no meaningful return to Suez.
Trade lane performance
- Asia (China-Korea-Japan) → North/West Europe:
Transit times remained structurally elevated at +5 days vs plan, with no signs of recovery. - Asia (China-Korea-Japan) → North America:
A relatively stable lane, but with a consistent +1 to 2 day deviation and increasing sensitivity to volume surges. - Oceania → Asia (China-Korea-Japan):
Seasonal patterns dominated, with a steady +2 day overrun driven by Chinese New Year cycles. - Southeast Asia → North America:
A hybrid delay pattern, where structural inefficiencies combined with seasonal demand spikes to push transits higher. - Indian Peninsula → North America:
One of the most volatile lanes, with deviations widening up to +7 days due to transshipment dependencies.
This report is based on transit time data from containers tracked on Portcast’s platform across 108 global trade lanes.
Download the full Q1 2026 report to understand lane-level insights, benchmark your transit times, and plan with data.
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