Analysis of global liner network data since 2012 shows shipping lines have fundamentally shifted how they manage their networks.
While carriers have largely maintained their geographical footprint, liner service frequencies have contracted significantly since the disruptions of 2020.
Tracking the relationship between Network Reach (unique direct deep-sea port-pair connections) and Network Density (total volume of calls executed across those connections) shows a historical correlation that fractured in early 2020 and has not yet re-coupled.
From 2012 to mid-2018, both metrics grew in tandem as carriers expanded their networks. In January 2012, the global deep-sea network consisted of 6,553 distinct port-pairs serviced by 42,129 monthly calls, peaking in 2018 at 12,056 distinct connections and 81,926 monthly calls. During this period, new port-pair additions were matched by corresponding increases in frequency.
READ: UNCTAD data shows shift in port connectivity
That strategy has since shifted. As structural decoupling accelerated through 2020, Network Reach saw only moderate rationalisation, dropping to a baseline of approximately 10,500 connections by the end of 2021. Network Density, however, contracted disproportionately.
Over the past 36 months, Network Reach has stabilised within a narrow band of 9,800–10,400 distinct connections, while Network Density has settled at a lower ceiling of 53,000–65,000 calls. The industry appears to have established a leaner operational baseline, preserving a wider network while lowering the frequency of direct port calls and pushing more volume through transhipment.
For ports and terminals, the shift means fewer direct calls but greater reliance on transhipment hubs to maintain connectivity, a structural change with implications for terminal planning, berth scheduling and hub port competitiveness going forward.
For more information:
Sea-Intelligence – https://www.sea-intelligence.com/
