by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

• Stay ahead of supply chain disruptions and port congestion with Kuehne+Nagel’s weekly port operational update.
• Find out the latest vessel waiting times and status of ports in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East-Indian Subcontinent, North America, and South and Central America. 

Africa

Ghana

Ghana’s Railway Workers Union plans a nationwide strike on 30 September 2025 over unpaid salary arrears since October 2024. Read more

Kenya

Mombasa: The terminal is experiencing sustained congestion and reduced productivity, driven by equipment shortages and elevated transhipment volumes. Berth delays persist due to off-window vessel bunching.

Mauritius

Port Louis: The 7-day average vessel waiting time remains high at 4 days due to adverse weather and operational challenges. Some carriers report waiting times of up to 13 days.

South Africa

Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days.

Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.7 days. Crane replacement works are disrupting landside clearance, causing vessels to be only partially handled before being delayed for up to 10 days, severely impacting berthing reliability. Ongoing dredging and equipment challenges are causing significant delays, particularly at Pier 2.

Waterside productivity has improved to 6,000 container moves/day, but landside operations are only handling 4,000, creating bottlenecks. Maersk has suspended online spot bookings, and delays from China are impacting schedules.

Port Elizabeth: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days due to wind-related disruptions.

Asia Oceania

China

Previous typhoon closures and an approaching tropical storm are causing unsettled weather and potential port closures from 18 to 20 September.

Nansha: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.28 days due to previous typhoon closures.

Ningbo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.87 days due to berth and port congestion. Maintenance dredging is currently underway at YZCT and CMICT, disrupting ongoing operations.

Qingdao: The 7-day average waiting time is around 1.48 days due to port congestion and weather-related closures. The port was closed for 11 hours due to strong winds.

Shanghai: Due to berth and port congestion, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.27 days. Both WGQ and YS terminals report an average waiting time of 2-3 days.

Shekou: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.73 days due to previous typhoon closures.

Japan

Yokohama: CMA’s terminal transfer from D4 to D5, including QC relocation, will significantly constrict operations over the next two weeks. Average waiting times are expected to range between 1.5 and 2 days.

New Zealand

Tauranga: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.33 days due to severe winds. High winds disrupted operations for 19 hours this week, with further suspensions planned due to extreme weather. KiwiRail’s Block of Line from 20 September to 5 October may cause minor disruptions. Reefer season adjustments reduce yard capacity and increase handling complexity.

Philippines

Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.54 days due to port congestion.

Singapore

Singapore: Due to congestion, the average 7-day vessel waiting time is 1.52 days. Yard utilisation is around 85%.

Europe

Belgium

Antwerp: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.04 days. The terminal yard utilisation remains high at 75-80%.

High yard occupancy at PSA terminals Q869 and Q913, with reefer utilisation at 65% and truck turnaround times averaging 45-55 minutes. Weather-related delays affected shuttle services. Yard opening times are being extended, and crane operations are stable.

Germany

Bremerhaven: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. The yard level is unchanged and idling between 80 and 85%. Labour capacities remain short during the vacation period.

Rail operations in Northern Germany will be significantly disrupted from 2–6 October 2025 due to infrastructure works between Bremen and Lübberstedt. All rail access to the Port of Bremerhaven will be suspended, affecting passenger and freight services. Container movements will cease entirely during this period, as signal boxes and signalling systems undergo renewal.

Hamburg: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.31 days. An IT infrastructure update occurred in HHLA terminals on 14 September 2025 from 15:00 to 19:00, causing processing delays and impacting the rail network with delays and cancellations.

• CTA: Labour shortages last weekend caused delays, with vessels like Cap San Sounio and Al Safat arriving significantly late. Yard utilisation at CTA is 75%. CTA is entering a period of disruption due to essential terminal reconstruction, including gantry crane replacements and system upgrades, which will reduce berth capacity and cause delays until mid-next year. The berth is at 100%. Vessels on Hapag-Lloyd’s CES service have been temporarily rerouted to the Unikai terminal. This terminal change means containers cannot be picked up or delivered by rail at Unikai.
• CTH, CTB: Rail access to these terminals will be unavailable due to track closures for the replacement of the Finkenwerder Bridge. Closures are scheduled for 03–06 October 2025 at various times. Read more
• CTB: The current rail processing backlog is more than 16 hours. Additionally, a 9-hour backlog was reported earlier in the week. The Kattwyk rail bridge is closed from 17 September to 28 November 2025, affecting rail traffic. The berthing line-up at CTB is congested, with a waiting time of up to 7 days. Yard density remains stable at 75%, though container dwell times vary; MTY stock exceeds the threshold.

Greece

Piraeus: EU authorities carried out a raid in Greece, seizing 2435 containers at the port. The cargo seized is worth nearly EUR 250 million, linked to individuals suspected of involvement in “criminal networks". Read more

Italy

Italian trade unions have scheduled two days of strikes and protests on 19 and 22 September 2025 to show solidarity with Gaza. While the strike will not affect essential public services, private sector workers, including freight transport, logistics, and road sectors, may participate in the strike. Read more

La Spezia: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.21 days. Yard density remains high at 80%, but within manageable operational limits.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.46 days. Terminals APM2 and RWG were shut down from 15 to 16 September due to heavy winds, affecting train schedules and causing delays and cancellations. Although the port is open again, delays and disruptions in the aftermath of the storm are still possible.

• ECT: ITT moves are still restricted, and the berthing line-up is full. Wind-related issues caused delays this week. Export and import deliveries are expected to face delays. Barge and rail services may also experience disruptions. The ECT terminal also faces gang availability issues, with barge and feeder delays of around 24 hours. Equipment failures and accumulated delays are noted at ECT.
• RWG: Yard density is 81%, nearing operational limits due to high import and empty container volumes. Rising dwell times require feeder planning between mainliner calls. Berths are fully occupied.

United Kingdom

Most ports in the country faced interrupted operations due to high winds on Monday, 16 September.

Grangemouth: The port is currently affected by high winds. Certain operations may be shut down until it is safe to resume.

London Gateway Port: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days due to wind-related closures. Yard utilisation is moderate, with dry at 53% and reefers at 58%.

Southampton: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.8 days. Yard utilisation stands at 11% for dry and 60% for reefer.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.86 days. Berthing congestion at Chittagong Port is at around 88%. Operational challenges include equipment breakdowns and strict port occupancy enforcement. Reefer plug-point utilisation is 70.5%.

North America

Canada

Average import rail dwell time for Canadian cargo (Vessel arrival to departure rail ramp):

• Halifax: 8 days
• Montreal: 10 days
• Prince Rupert: 50days
• Saint John: 60days
• Vancouver: 7 days

United States

Average import rail dwell and transit time for US cargo (Vessel arrival to departure rail ramp): 

• Montreal: 60days
• Prince Rupert: 40days
• Vancouver: 6 days
• Charleston: 2 days
• Jacksonville: 4 days
• Houston: 16 days
• Los Angeles: 6 days
• Long Beach: 6 days
• New York: 5 days
• Norfolk: 3 days
• Savannah: 2 days

New York: Some carriers report waiting times of up to 5 days. APMT New York is experiencing elevated gate appointment demand, with limited availability on vessel cut-off days. Customers are advised to deliver export cargo promptly upon freight acceptance. Ongoing schedule changes and high volume are causing delays and missed container loadings.

Portland: After facing the real threat of closure, Portland’s container terminal has secured a new operator in Harbour Industrial. The port confirmed a deal had been reached with former stevedore Harbour Industrial to operate the port. Read more

South and Central America

Jamaica

Kingston: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.83 days.

How Kuehne+Nagel calculates the 7-day average vessel waiting time

Mainline container vessels may spend a certain number of days waiting at designated anchorage areas before their scheduled port call.

To calculate the 7-day average waiting time, we consider the waiting days of these vessels, excluding: 

• Waiting times for feeder vessels, 
• Idle ships without an announced next port, 
• Slow steamers heading toward the anchorage but not actively waiting within the designated area
• Vessels passing through the anchorage area without intending to call at the port.

This rolling average is based on the data from the last seven days and is updated daily in seaexplorer.

To find the latest waiting time for a port, enter the port name or code in the search bar and select the relevant option.

Stay Ahead Stay Informed: Register for seaexplorer  for the latest disruptions and vessel waiting times at global container ports.