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

Angola

Luanda: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2.67 days. The port is currently heavily congested. Some carriers report waiting times of up to 8 days.

Ghana

Tema: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2 days. On-window vessels wait on average a day for a berth, while off-window arrivals wait up to 3 days.

Kenya

Mombasa: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 3.56 days. The terminal is experiencing sustained congestion and reduced productivity, driven by equipment shortages and elevated transshipment volumes. Berth delays persist due to off-window vessel bunching.

Morocco

Casablanca: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.57 days.

Mozambique

Beira: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 7.5 days. Congestion and severe weather continue to be key causes of disruption.

South Africa

Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 3 days. The port started crane replacement works, which are disrupting vessel handling.

Asia Oceania

Successive tropical storms have caused significant delays at ports in Asia over the past two weeks, particularly in the Philippines and southeast China. Ocean carriers have warned of skipped port calls, rerouted cargo and vessel delays over the next two weeks.

China

Nansha: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.79 days.

Ningbo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.44 days.

Qingdao: The 7-day average waiting time is around 1.71 days.

The Philippines

Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.87 days. The country experienced a severe earthquake this week, but port operations weren't significantly affected.

Europe

Belgium

Antwerp: Dense fog caused the suspension of operations for several hours on 1 October. Yard utilisation is elevated. Yard utilisation at Q913 is around 75%, and reefers around 65%; Q869 is around 65%. Crane rail repairs at Q913 are ongoing until 30 Sep.

France

Labour unions announced a new 24-hour strike on 2 October. The strikes will cover multiple cities nationwide. Operations at ports, including gate operations, are likely to be heavily disrupted. Read more.

Germany

Hamburg

• CTA: Old GC dismantling started 22 Sep, reducing berth capacity by one mainliner berth (two remaining) and adding a feeder berth. Yard utilisation is around 75% (reefers 50%). Line-up fully utilised.
• Northern corridors (rail): A derailment at Falkenberg on early 30 September temporarily halted the diversion route between Berlin and Hamburg; multi-hour delays are expected for services to/from northern German ports, Rotterdam, and Duisburg. Elbe Valley closure continues to constrain capacity.

Greece

Piraeus, Thessaloniki: A 24-hour nationwide strike took place on 1 October across the country. The strike impacted vessel movements (channel passages, berthing/unberthing).

Italy

Italian trade unions will conduct a national general strike on 3 October, with a nationwide impact. Demonstrators may block access to certain ports, resulting in delays. Additionally, new rail closures were announced for cargo movement by rail, spanning from October to December 2025. Read more.

Salerno: High winds caused the port to be closed for several hours on 2 October. Port and rail operations were interrupted.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.64 days.

• ECT: Yard utilisation is around 85%. Barge and feeder delays up to 72 hours.
• Rail incidents: The closure of the Emmerich border crossing and the railway incident in Hamburg are adding congestion and delays to services.

Spain

Barcelona: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.67 days.

Valencia: Gate operations were suspended on 29 Sep due to adverse weather. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.14 days.

United Kingdom

London Gateway Port: High winds reduced stack levels, leading to additional shuffles and higher-than-normal truck turnaround times later in the week. Planned IT outage and adverse weather caused delays.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): Berthing congestion at Chittagong Port has significantly eased, with average berthing delays ranging from 1 to 3 days. Yard occupancy at CY is around 79% and reefer plug points occupancy is around 75%.

Sri Lanka

Colombo: Unfavourable weather conditions, rising transshipment volumes, and severe yard congestion have collectively disrupted terminal operations. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.23 day.

North America

Canada

Administrative staff started a strike on 22 September. Despite labour action, vessel/rail/truck operations continued with strategic adjustments. Some delays are mainly due to modified truck gate hours. Truck gates were extended to 07:00–17:00 from 29 Sep to 3 Oct.

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

• Halifax: 8 days
• Montreal: 7 days
• Prince Rupert: 6 days
• Saint John: 6 days
• Vancouver: 7 days

United States

Some of the United States' governmental agencies shut down on 1 October after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a bill funding their services. Operations at ports are likely to continue as usual. Read more

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

• Montreal: 4 days
• Prince Rupert: 4 days
• Vancouver: 7 days
• Charleston: 2 days
• Houston: 11 days
• Los Angeles: 6 days
• Long Beach: 6 days
• New York: 4 days
• Norfolk: 3 days
• Savannah: 2 days

Long Beach: All containers that fell into the water at the port of Long Beach following a stack collapse from Zim-operated Mississippi have now been recovered. Read more

South and Central America

Panama

Balboa

High occupancy at main docks (85%) with steady productivity; monitor for potential capacity tightness. PSA Panama: Average occupancy 65%; handling vessels >14,000 TEU; operations stable. Colón Container Terminal (CCT): Occupancy 70% with good space availability; operations are stable.

Manzanillo (MIT)

Operating at 78% capacity with stable berthing and strong crane productivity, operations are stable.

Cristóbal

Occupancy 60%; focus on general cargo/bulk; limited electrical redundancy for reefers noted.

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.