According to a report by The Journal of Commerce, seasonal fog along the US Gulf Coast has disrupted container ship operations, slowing arrivals at the Port of Houston and prompting several carriers to divert vessels to Mobile.

JOC reports that shippers using Mobile report that many of these changes were communicated with limited notice, leaving them little time to organise cargo before export cut-off deadlines.

Houston, which handles significant volumes of diverse vessel traffic, routinely experiences winter fog. Although the scale of this season’s interruptions is not confirmed, the conditions have caused longer anchorage times for container ships awaiting berths.

In response, some carriers have altered their usual Gulf Coast port calls by visiting Mobile ahead of Houston rather than maintaining the traditional rotation.

Operational conditions at Houston’s terminals have also been affected.

According to the latest update by Hapag-Lloyd, waiting times for Gemini and non-Gemini vessels at Barbours Cut Terminal have reached up to 3 hours on 12 January. Meanwhile, ships calling at Bayport Container Terminal face delays of as much as 96 hours.

The German carrier further reports that loaded import dwell times stand at 3.8 days at Barbours Cut and 3.6 days at Bayport. In addition, Bayport is operating with one crane out of service, contributing to the broader pressures on the terminal.