London Gateway Lifts Empty Container Restrictions: What Exporters and Forwarders Should Know

Maersk has confirmed that restrictions on empty container acceptance at London Gateway Port were lifted from 12:00 on Monday 26 October 2026. Empty containers can now be returned to the terminal as normal.

The news ended a short but disruptive pause for UK hauliers and shipping lines.

What happened

The restriction began just a few days earlier. Maersk's advisory said London Gateway was closed to empty container acceptance from 12:00 on 23 October 2026, until further notice, and warned that disruption was expected to last throughout the weekend. Where MATS Online advised it, hauliers could use alternative empty return locations: Pentalver London Gateway, Tilbury or Southampton.

The sources we reviewed don't give a reason for the suspension, so we are not speculating on the cause.

What changes for hauliers

Vehicle Booking System (VBS) slots are available again, and hauliers must secure a booking before dispatching empty containers to the terminal. In practice:

• Book a VBS slot before the truck leaves. A truck arriving without a booking should not be expected to be accepted.

• Keep checking MATS Online for the latest empty return instructions.

• Maersk says it will keep monitoring the situation and issue further updates if needed. Conditions could change again.

Why this matters beyond the UK

A gate closure for empties can look like a local trucking problem, but it affects the whole supply chain. Empty containers must come back through the port before they can be repositioned to load ports in Asia, including Indian ports, and a blockage at a major European hub slows that cycle.

London Gateway also matters more now because of Maersk's network design. In March 2025, Maersk moved merchant-haulage empty returns for cargo collected from Felixstowe to London Gateway as part of its new Gemini network operating from that port. The reopening also comes a week after Maersk announced a new AE18 service and changes to three existing Gemini services, with the first departures scheduled for November. More services running through one terminal means less room for equipment-flow problems.

There is precedent for this kind of squeeze. In October 2021, London Gateway closed its gates to empty returns because of high yard density, after the volume of empties diverted from Felixstowe overloaded the terminal. That was a different situation, but it shows how pressure at one UK port can spill over to its neighbours.

What Indian exporters and forwarders should watch

This is our analysis rather than something confirmed by the carriers. A single three-day closure is unlikely to change your container availability on its own. But repeated gate closures at European hubs are an early warning of slower equipment turnaround, and that can eventually show up as tighter space or equipment availability and higher costs on Europe-India trades.

So when you plan Europe-bound shipments in the coming weeks:

1. Ask your carrier or forwarder about equipment availability at your origin, not just vessel space.

2. Keep an eye on peak-season surcharges and congestion advisories for UK and North Europe ports.

3. Allow extra buffer in your schedule for transshipment and return-leg delays.

The bottom line

London Gateway is back to normal empty acceptance from 26 October, but the VBS booking requirement is a reminder that UK terminals are managing tight yard capacity. We will track further advisories from Maersk and DP World and cover them on Logisticswall.

Sources: Maersk customer advisories (23 and 26 October 2026), Port Technology International, Container News.