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

Algeria

Skikda: Due to heavy congestion, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 6.67 days.

Mozambique

Beira: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 6.87 days due to congestion and severe weather; however, some carriers report waiting times of up to 10 days.

Nigeria

Apapa: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days. Carriers report some vessels waiting up to 6 days for a berth.

Asia Oceania

China

Due to adverse weather conditions, congestion at key ports in China remains elevated. Additional backlog is expected during Golden Week, which started on 1 October.

Ningbo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is approximately 1.54 days due to congestion at berths and ports. At YZCT and CMICT terminals, maintenance dredging is currently underway, further complicating the operational situation.

Qingdao: The 7-day average waiting time is around 2.01 days due to port congestion. Some carriers report waiting times of up to 3 days.

Malaysia

Port Klang: Due to vessel bunching and port congestion, the average vessel waiting time is approximately 1.23 days. The high yard density is at around 85% and impacts productivity.

New Zealand

Auckland: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days.

Tauranga: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days. Four vessel omissions in Week 41 free up berth capacity.

Singapore

Singapore: Due to congestion, the average 7-day vessel waiting time is around 1.72 days. The yard utilisation is at around 85%.

Vietnam

Cai Mep International Terminal: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days.

Ho Chi Minh City: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.53 days. Due to ongoing port congestion, yard utilisation at Cat Lai remains consistently high at 90-95%, placing continued pressure on terminal operations.

Europe

Belgium

Antwerp/Zeebrugge: As of 5 October, Port of Antwerp traffic controllers commenced indefinite industrial action, limiting operations and causing significant disruption in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. Import container handling is affected, while exports proceed normally. Yard utilisation remains high, potentially leading to further delays. Read more

Germany

Hamburg: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day.

• CTA: 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%.
• CTB: The berthing line-up at CTB is congested, with a waiting time of up to 7 days. Yard density remains stable at 71%.

Wilhelmshaven: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.25 days. The yard is congested at around 85%.

Bremerhaven: At the North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven (NTB), export gate acceptance is restricted to 7 days before ETD from 1 November 2025 due to high terminal load and dwell reduction initiative.

Greece

Piraeus: The port is currently congested, with an average 7-day vessel waiting time of around 2.31 days.

Thessaloniki: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days.

Italy

Genoa: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is at around 1.83 days. Yard density remains elevated at 77%. Labour shortage continues to exert pressure on vessel operations.

La Spezia: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days. Yard density remains high at 77%, but within manageable operational limits.

Naples: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: Lashing companies at the Port of Rotterdam started a 48-hour strike on Wednesday, 8 October. The strike is expected to suspend container vessel handling and significantly disrupt inland container transport operations. Protesters plan to block rail tracks on 11 October, posing further risks to port operations. Read more

•  RWG: The terminal closes on 9 October until 23:00 for maintenance and system updates; landside/waterside operations were suspended. The truck export gate, barge and rail handling were also affected.
• ECT Delta and ECT Euromax: On 9 October, the terminals experienced a system outage, disrupting landside operations.

Slovenia

Koper: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days. Container terminal utilisation is high. The cargo surge causes import and export dwell times of 5-6 days. Railway reconstruction until 3Q 2026 reduces train traffic, causing an increase in truck traffic.

Spain

Barcelona: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days. The yard is at around 81%.

Valencia: Due to vessel bunching, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.71 days.

United Kingdom

Southampton: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days. Yard utilisation stands at 83% for dry containers and 86% for reefers. The schedule remains congested, with one crane out of service on SCT5, although all others are operational. The port continues to face challenges in managing volume. Increased labour this week is aiding vessel throughput, though some are currently being delayed.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. Berthing congestion at Chittagong Port is at around 88%.

Lebanon

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

Oman

Sohar: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 6 days.

North America

Canada

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

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

Mexico

Lazaro Cardenas: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.25 days. The average truck dwell time for import is around 96 hours, and 72 hours for rail. Heightened customs supervision at APM and HPH is slowing import release/dispatch, driving significant terminal congestion and delaying inland moves.

Manzanillo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. The average Truck dwell time is around 72 hours for export. The import rail dwell time can be up to 10 days. Customs system disruptions continue to impede terminal operations, generating congestion and knock‑on delays for both truck and rail flows; truck assignment remains dependent on dispatch appointments.

United States

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

• • Montreal: 4 days
  • Prince Rupert: 4 days
  • Vancouver: 9 days
  • Charleston: 2 days
  • Houston: 9 days
  • Los Angeles: 6 days
  • Long Beach: 5 days
  • New York: 4 days
  • Norfolk: 3 days
  • Savannah: 2 day

South and Central America

Argentina

Buenos Aires: Terminal operations are impacted by high empty container volumes of 800 TEUs. Paraguay transshipments account for 35% of throughput. Vessel delays persist due to cargo surges; occupancy is at 80%. Infrastructure upgrades are underway. TRP operates smoothly at 66% occupancy. Terminal 4 faced disruption from labour action, with yard occupancy at 95%.

Nicaragua

Corinto: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.58 days. The yard density is high. Vessels can wait up to 10 days before operations begin at the port.

Panama

Manzanillo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2.67 days.

Uruguay

Montevideo: Since last Thursday, 2 October, the union at the TCP terminal has continued to uphold strike measures in response to the implementation of the NAVIS N4 system - a platform that is already operational and fully integrated at the Port of Montevideo. The union has expressed its refusal to engage with the system unless the company consents to a reduction in the working day to six hours, while maintaining remuneration equivalent to an eight-hour shift.

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.

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