Stay ahead of supply chain disruptions and port congestion with Kuehne+Nagel’s weekly port operational update.

Middle East Africa

UAE

Jebel Ali: Kuehne+Nagel reports 5-7 days of congestion for imports into Jebel Ali due to the Red Sea crisis and an additional 1-2 days of delay for container discharge. Due to the congestion, some carriers opt to tranship Jebel Ali Cargo in Abu Dhabi.

For exports, operational challenges relate to vessels waiting to berth and extended port stays of 2-5 days, which results in vessel bunching in Jebel Ali.

South Africa

This week, extreme weather, including high winds and heavy rainfall, was forecast for the coastal areas. Impact on vessel operations and schedules is expected, especially in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Read more

Asia Pacific

China

Berthing congestion persists at Chinese ports, increasing vessel waiting times. Some ports, such as Ningbo and Qingdao, face dense fog and high winds, resulting in port closures.

Malaysia

Port Klang: Westport is heavily congested, increasing vessel waiting times. Late vessels wait an average of 4 or more days. Yard utilisation is over 95%, reducing the efficiency of vessel and yard operations.

Singapore

Singapore: In its latest news release, port operator PSA states vessel waiting times have reduced in Singapore, and congestion is easing. It was also reported that about 90% of container vessels had arrived off-schedule this year, and the duration of vessel port stays has increased by 22% year-on-year. This increase in port stay was attributed to the handling of more containers per vessel call due to higher demand and container re-handling. Read more

Europe

The summer holiday season has begun in Europe, which usually reduces the availability of labour at ports. Considering the increased congestion due to the Red Sea diversions and strikes at several European ports, delays can cause congestion issues, resulting in further challenges at ports in Europe.

Germany

Port workers held strikes in Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven this week in protest against a proposed wage agreement. All port operations were suspended for the duration of the strikes. After the strikes end today, congestion, backlogs, a lack of booking slots, and vessel delays can be expected.

While further negotiations are planned for 11 and 12 July, future strikes cannot be ruled out just yet. Read more

Netherlands

Rotterdam: Terminals are congested due to vessels arriving off schedule, resulting in arrival/departure delays of 5-10 days. This has also resulted in changes in gate-in dates at short notice and increased dwell times of containers at inland depots.

In addition, terminals closed on Tuesday, 9 July, because of bad weather.

North America

Canada

Vancouver: Unresolved labour issues are contributing to vessel delays in Vancouver.

Rail dwell at Canadian Ports:

Halifax: 3 days

Montreal: 6 days

Prince Rupert: 5 days

Vancouver: 8 days

USA

Charleston: Vessel waiting times have improved after the pause in port construction. At the time of publication, three vessels were waiting at anchorage.

Houston: The Port of Houston was closed on July 9 and 10 due to Hurricane Beryl. Operations resumed at 06:00 on Wednesday, 10 July, with extended gate hours. Carriers expect an increase in vessel waiting time of 1-3 days this week.

According to BNSF, rail operations have resumed in the area. However, delays can be expected while backlogs are cleared.

Many homes and businesses are out of power, and restoring them could take days to weeks.

Norfolk: Waiting times in Norfolk have increased after the 4 July closures.

South and Central America

Mexico

Hapag-Lloyd reports operational challenges at several Mexican ports, specifically in Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas, which require forward planning of container movements.

Truck availability is limited in several areas, including Manzanillo and Lázaro Cárdenas.

For rail operations, loading times and platform assignments have extended from 72 to 120 hours at the most affected ports. Read more

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