Shippers should not get their hopes up too much for quicker transport time of containrized goods between China and North Europe. The shipowners have come too far on the slow-steaming path to be willing to change course now, and it would take extremely convincing arguments and guarantees from customers in order for the shipowners to pick up the pace, assesses Drewry arguing that the shippers would be more successful pushing for more reliable services from the shipowners.