The timing couldn’t be worse: with consumer demand lethargic and inventory stocks stubbornly high, ocean carriers are preparing to receive an armada of newbuild ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) in the coming weeks.

Due to weak demand on the main east-west tradelanes expected to last through to the second half of the year, carriers could be obliged to postpone the maiden calls of some of these ULCVs before phasing them into liner service networks later in the year.