Port Congestion in Asia Continues

Chinese Port Congestion Updates

Ports across Northern China are facing continued pressure and port congestion after facing increasing challenges.

Earlier in August, Typhoon Bavi caused havoc across far eastern ports, halting port operations across many key ports. Following which, 2 more typhoons struck across China, further interrupting operations. This along increased seasonal volumes and vessel bunching have caused significant pressure for ports in China that were able to continue operations. 

What Ports are Affected?

Shanghai, Qingdao and Ningbo have faced increased congestion, with varying conditions. Dalian however remains unaffected.

• Dalian: No significant congestion reported.
• Qingdao: Vessel anchorage waiting times of approximately 1-2 days.
• Ningbo: Anchorage delays ranging from 3-5 days across major terminals. Export shipments on most trade lanes are experiencing delays of approximately 3-5 days, with Oceania services seeing delays of up to 5 days.
• Shanghai: The most impacted gateway, with anchorage waiting times ranging from 5-10 days depending on terminal. Additional delays are being experienced across all trade lanes, with Latin America cargo facing transit impacts of up to 7-10 days. Some ocean carriers have also adjusted vessel rotations and, in certain cases, are omitting Shanghai calls while increasing allocations in Ningbo.

What Does this mean for shipping?

To maintain schedules and to ensure supply chains remain smooth running, shipping lines and terminal operators have implemented operational adjustments. During these changes, these impacts remain anticipated:

• Increased Transit Delays: Longer waiting times for vessels to berth and discharge/load cargo.
• Port Omissions: Certain scheduled port calls may be omitted to assist carriers in recovering vessel schedules, with cargo potentially routed through alternative gateways or rolled to subsequent sailings.
• Changes in Port Rotation: Tactical adjustments may be made to the order of port calls, or vessels may be diverted to alternative terminals and ports to bypass severe bottlenecks.

If you require further support during this time, contact your representative at Trinity Logistics and our team will work closely with our operating partners to minimise disruption as best as we can.