by Priya Radünzel, 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, Middle East-Indian Subcontinent, North America, and South and Central America.   

Africa

Algeria

Algerian ports remain heavily congested. Waiting times in Algiers have increased to 7 days this week. The port authority is diverting vessels to Djen-Djen to improve congestion.

In Djen-Djen, ships can wait up to 14 days for a berth. The situation is similar in Bejaia. In Annaba and Skikda, congestion results in waiting times of up to 7 days.

In Oran, the waiting times have risen to more than 4 days compared to 3 days last week.

Cameroon:

Douala: Congestion has increased in Douala this week, as shown in the table above. According to seaexplorer, there are currently three vessels at anchor.

Libya

Benghazi: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 13 days.

Mozambique

Beira: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days due to congestion and weather delays.

South Africa

Cape Town: Due to strong winds, the average vessel waiting time has increased to 8 days this week. Four vessels are currently waiting at anchor.

Tanzania

Dar Es Salaam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time improved to 3.72 days. Five ships are at anchor.

Asia Oceania

China

Vessel waiting times at North China ports remain elevated due to port congestion and fog closures. In Qingdao, berth availability will be reduced until the end of April due to construction and the delivery of new cranes.

The number of waiting vessels in the Shanghai-Ningbo area has improved to 161, compared to 179 last week. The number of waiting vessels remains stable in Qingdao at around 24.

Earthquake in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam

On 28 March, a devastating earthquake struck Myanmar, with tremors felt in neighbouring Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Kuehne+Nagel reports that operations have gradually resumed to normal across the affected areas.

The ports in Thailand and Myanmar, specifically Bangkok, Laem Chabang, and Yangon, are fully operational. No significant infrastructure damage was reported in Thailand, and supply-chain operations are expected to normalize this week. However, Myanmar is experiencing electricity shortages, affecting internet connectivity. At Laem Chabang, port congestion has increased waiting times to 2.5 days.

Kuehne+Nagel will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Malaysia

Port Klang: Berth congestion and vessel bunching are resulting in delays.

New Zealand

Tauranga: The situation in Tauranga is similar to last week. Yard utilisation is near full capacity for both dry and reefer containers, and the port cannot accommodate early receivals. The Kiwi season is in full swing, with several vessels arriving this week. On the other hand, blank sailings will allow a bit of relief of vessel spacing. The majority of vessels are leaving and departing off-window.

Europe

Congestion at Northern European Ports

Port congestion and delays remain at critical levels at Northern European ports. Network phase-ins, high volumes, and vessels arriving outside their berthing windows have caused serious congestion and delays to waterside operations. The situation is not expected to improve for the next 3-5 months until networks stabilise and yard congestion eases.

Furthermore, water levels have dropped further in the River Rhine, measuring below acceptable levels at all three measuring points: Kaub, Koln, and Duisburg Ruhrort. Due to the low water levels, barge capacity will be limited to/from several terminals. Feeder services between Antwerp and Rotterdam are not affected.

Belgium

On Monday, 31 March, a general strike took place nationwide. Port workers reduced their working hours by one hour per shift. As shown in the above table, the average waiting time has increased slightly in Antwerp this week.

• PSA: Yard occupancy is at critical levels of 95% for dry and 87% for reefers. This is impacting productivity and delaying the vessel line-up. Fog delays impacted the PSA869 terminal last week.

• AGW: Yard occupancy remains stable, and the lineup is full with some delays. The terminal is proactively managing truck appointments to safeguard the yard.

France

Port workers suspended a planned strike action this week to continue negotiations with the government on national pension reforms. Vessel waiting times have increased in Fos-sur-mer and remain above 2 days in Le Havre.

Germany

Hamburg: The introduction of gate-in restrictions in mid-March has reduced yard utilisation to around 77% at CTA and CTB. At CTB, labour shortages are causing some productivity issues.

Italy

Road transportation will be limited in Italy for the weeks 16, 17, and 18 due to public holidays on Monday, 21 April; Friday,25 April; and Thursday, 1 May. In addition, weight restrictions on trucks greater than 7.5 tons will be in place, limiting trucker availability. Kuene+Nagel advises to pre-plan accordingly.

Netherlands

Rotterdam

• ECT: Yard utilisation remains high, and reefer plug availability remains under pressure. Labour conditions are improving but still below standard. Delays to barges are between 24 and 72 hours. According to carriers, high volume and berth utilisation will continue until week 16. New gantry cranes arriving on 4 April may increase feeder handling delays.

• DELTA II: The port is challenged by gang availability to handle multiple services, which limits its flexibility to accommodate additional calls.

• RWG: Yard utilisation has increased further this week. The lineup remains full, and productivity is stable.

• MVII: Yard utilisation is around 70% at this terminal, with carriers reporting no operational challenges

Meditteranean Ports

Greece

Piraeus: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.57 days due to congestion. Some carriers can wait up to 7 days for a berth. Seaexplorer currently shows 10 ships at anchor.

Italy

Genoa: The average vessel waiting time is around 2 days this week. The carrier service reshuffle is causing these delays, which impact connecting feeders for transhipments. There are currently five vessels at anchor.

Spain

The number of waiting vessels at Valencia anchorage is currently around 13. In Barcelona, one vessel is waiting for a berth. The waiting times at these ports can be up to 2 days for some ships.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.45 days. Berth congestion has increased due to the limited working hours at the port in March, but this is expected to improve in April.

North America

Canada

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

• Halifax: 9 days
• Montreal: 9 days
• Prince Rupert: 12 days
• Saint John: 8 days
• Vancouver: 13 days

Vancouver: The average vessel waiting time has increased to almost 4 days in Vancouver this week. The number of waiting vessels is currently at 11. The port has suffered delays in the last months due to winter weather.

Mexico

In Mexico, intermodal remains a challenge and bookings need to be made well in advance. For more details on the individual port requirements, please refer to our seaexplorer alert map.

United States

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

• Montreal: 9 days
• Vancouver: 22 days
• Charleston: 7 days
• Houston: 13 days
• Los Angeles: 12 days
• Long Beach: 11 days
• New York: 7 days
• Norfolk: 7 days
• Savannah: 5 days

Houston: Waiting times improved further this week to below 2 days. Seaexplorer shows four vessels currently at anchor.

Savannah: The porT remains congested, with similar waiting times and number of waiting vessels as last week.

South and Central America

Argentina

The Single Union of Customs Personnel of the Argentine Republic (SUPARA) announced further strikes this week after salary negotiations with customs authorities failed. 

This round of strikes will take place on 3 and 4 April, from 09:00 until 17:00 in the AMBA region and from 08:00 to 16:00 in the rest of the country,

Furthermore, the CGT Union has announced a nationwide 24-hour strike on Thursday, 10 April 2025.

Services, including train, truck, and some port operations, will not be available. Consequently, delays in container handling at the ports and in container delivery and pickup can be expected. Read More

Chile

Protests by fishermen in the ports of Valparaiso and San Antonia disrupted ship movements last week. The strikes have since ended in Valparaiso, and operations are back to normal. In San Antonia, peaceful demonstrations are taking place, and the port is operating normally. Read more

Colombia

Cartagena: Due to congestion, vessels can wait up to 3 days in Cartagena. Delays are expected to increase when vessels begin arriving over the next weeks. The number of waiting vessels is currently at nine.

El Salvador

Acajutla: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5.5 days, although some vessels can wait up to 14 days. Docks A-1 and A-2 are undergoing repairs and maintenance work, and a crane is out of service, which is causing substantial delays to vessel operations.

On the landside, the container yard is heavily congested, and there is a slight labour shortage. Additionally, trucker availability is limited due to congestion and a shortage of truckers, making the departure of containers from the port dependent on the availability of trucking slots. The average truck availability is 7 days. These factors are collectively contributing to notable delays in container pickup and delivery.

Panama

Cristobal: The 7-day vessel waiting time is around 2 days due to congestion.

Rodman: The port is currently severely congested. The delay in vessel arrivals is causing a transhipment delay of almost three weeks at this port.

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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Last week's port update can be found here.