Navigating the container market in 2025.

The global container shipping market has entered a different phase in 2025. The extreme spikes in freight rates that followed the pandemic and the Red Sea crisis has given way to an unpredictable and volatile environment. Drewry’s World Container Index stood at approximately $2,424 for a 40ft container in early August, yet the stability is fragile. Trade flows remain uneven, with growth pockets in Europe and parts of Asia-Latin America offsetting weaker U.S demand.

A large part of the uncertainty is geopolitical. The Red Sea remains a live risk, with Houthi attacks forcing shipping lines to take the Cape of Good Hope routing. These diversions add further days transit times, increases bunker consumption, raises insurance premiums and costs. Whilst not crippling global trade, they create regular price and schedule spikes that ripple through supply chains. Add this to the continuing impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, fluctuating U.S-China tariffs and intermittent canal capacity constraints, the lesson is clear: long-term planning now requires a contingency mindset.

In boardrooms, the focus has shifted. Freight procurement is no longer just about chasing the lowest rate. The question is whether a business can maintain supply chain continuity and predictability under stress. Gateway diversification, port centric inventory strategies, alternative inland transport modes and regular flow of stock has become as important as negotiating a good price.

This is where port selection has moved up the strategic agenda. Terminals with fast and reliable turnaround on both ship and yard side, automated gate systems, ample yard capacity and specialist handling such as refrigerated storage, helps keep goods moving even when schedules slip. Ports that can combine these physical strengths with warehousing, customs processing and value-added logistics on-site, provides customers with a single, controllable point in their supply chain.

Here at Peel Ports Group, we have been building precisely this combination at the Port of Liverpool. The £400 million Liverpool2 deep water terminal has reshaped the UK’s capacity and capabilities, allowing direct calls into the heart of UK logistics . For companies serving the Northwest and Midlands, this means shorter inland legs and less dependence on other congested UK ports. Alongside the terminal, Peel Ports Group has invested heavily in warehousing and logistics services.

Our PortPlus product, offering storage, customs, logistics, stock control and inventory management and other value-add into a single touchpoint service, empowers companies to cut total landed times, simplify processes and control costs. We have heavily invested in warehouse developments, including a recent multi million pound facility, is designed to offer businesses the option to position stock close to the quay for rapid fulfilment.

With a total of almost 1,000 reefer plugs, the ability to turn a vessel within a 12hr tide, servicing trucks within an average turnaround of under 30 mins (in & out), delivering competitive and consistent GMPH and providing fast access to containers – Peel Ports Liverpool is one of the most capable and competitive ports in the UK.

The strategic impact for both cargo owners and carriers is tangible. The port of Liverpool cuts days from supply chains, faster access to containers reduces demurrage exposure and allows lines to turn containers quicker, on and off-dock warehousing supports the just in time, just in case and seasonal business models without the risk of long inland hauls. The impeccable connectivity to both rail and road links provides access to all points of the UK, creating a reliable, sustainable inland link that can be vital when the industry is littered with challenges.

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, the container market is likely to remain unpredictable, punctuated by some sharp, short term disruptions. Geopolitical shocks will continue to test the resilience of global networks. For companies, the ability to react and re-route quickly, access cargo faster and distribute inland efficiently, will be the difference between maintaining service and losing sales.

Peel Ports approach in Liverpool is simple, combining deep water access, predictable terminal performance, port-centric logistics and robust rail and road connections, offers one of the UK’s most credible answers to that challenge. For businesses, the decision is no longer simply whether Liverpool is cheaper on a per box basis, it is whether it provides the resilience, speed and control needed to protect revenue and reputation in a volatile world.

Written by Emma Snell, Head of Business Development at Liverpool Containers.