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Last look 12 September 2026 Why does London Gateway matter for Asia ships to the UK? It is the Thames door for Asia containers. DP World built it on the Essex shore of the river. A fourth berth in 2025 took throughput to about 3 million containers, from about 1.9 million the year before. Some Asia–Europe loops now name this quay instead of Felixstowe. The cargo is shop stock, e-commerce and parts. The sea clock is still Suez or the Cape: about 31–33 days from China on the short road, 43–47 on the long one. A late ship here is a late warehouse on the M25, then a thin bay. |
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1 · Asia China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and the rest of East and South-East Asia. Ask the line: Suez or Cape? |
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2 · Essex Thames London Gateway. Deep water. Four berths that can take the largest container ships at once. A fifth has been in build. |
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3 · London warehouses Short inland run into the capital and the M25 ring. E-commerce and retail stock often stop here first. |
How many extra days if the ship uses the Cape?
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How fast did this door grow?
| 2024 throughput | about 1.9 million containers |
| 2025 throughput | about 3 million after the fourth berth |
DfT Q1 2026: London’s container units were up about 19% on a year earlier. Felixstowe’s units were down about 16% in the same quarter. Some big customers moved loops. The cargo did not vanish. It changed quay.
If my Maersk or Hapag-Lloyd ship now calls Gateway, am I late?
Only if the ocean road changed, or the berth window was missed. A switch from Felixstowe to Gateway can be shorter inland for London stock. It does not shave the Cape’s two weeks. Read the voyage, not the brand name.
| What changed | What you do |
| Quay only: Felixstowe → Gateway | Change the inland booking. Sea days can stay the same. |
| Road as well: Suez → Cape | Add 10–14 days. See Cape versus Suez. |
| Both | New port plus two weeks. Tell the warehouse. |
Is Gateway quicker inland than Felixstowe for London shops?
| Destination | Usual edge |
| London and the M25 ring | Gateway is closer |
| Midlands and the North | Felixstowe’s rail (about 58 trains a day) often wins |
What arrives at this quay?
| Family | If the ship is two weeks late |
| Retail and fashion | A size or a line missing |
| E-commerce / FBA-style stock | One listing dies; the rest of the site looks fine |
| Electronics and small appliances | A model off the peg |
| Factory parts | A line waits. This is when air can be worth it. |
If Christmas stock is booked into Gateway, when must it leave China?
| Need it in a London warehouse | Leave East Asia by (Cape) |
| Mid-October | Late August |
| Black Friday / mid-November | Late September |
| On a shelf before Christmas | First half of October |
Does a fourth berth mean my container will not wait?
It means more ships can work at once. It does not cancel a two-week Cape diversion, and it does not stop several late vessels arriving together. Extra steel on the quay helps the bunch. It does not shrink Africa.
Gateway next to Felixstowe and Southampton
| Gateway | Felixstowe | Southampton | |
| Water | Thames | Suffolk | Hampshire |
| 2025–26 habit | Growing share of Asia loops | Historic lead door | Boxes and cars |
| Inland edge | London | Rail to the Midlands | South and West |
All UK ports · Felixstowe · Southampton · Status
2025 throughput and fourth berth: DP World / contemporaneous UK reporting. DfT port freight Q1 2026, container units at London and Felixstowe. Sea days: common 2026 freight use. Not live berth-tracking.