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 Middle East Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and South and Central America. 



Asia Pacific

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.54 days; some carriers report waiting 2-3 days due to congestion. Yard and reefer plug utilisation is manageable. The number of full containers has slightly increased in the yard.

China

Vessel delays and congestion persists in Shanghai, Ningbo and Qingdao. In Shanghai, the waiting time remains above 2 days due to heavy berth congestion among all terminals in the WGQ area. More than 130 vessels are currently anchored in the Shanghai-Ningbo area, increasing from last week’s 123. In Qingdao, 29 vessels are waiting at anchorage, up from last week’s 24.

India

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will issue orders to the Indian Ports Association to implement the port workers’ contract agreement signed in September, thereby averting the planned strike. The strike was scheduled to begin on 17 December. An official strike cancellation is expected at the start of next week. Read more

Malaysia

Port Klang: Carriers report berth and yard congestion, causing delays.

New Zealand

Auckland: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days. The berth schedule is full and expected to remain this way until Christmas. The container terminal is experiencing congestion due to very high yard utilisation Vessels arriving off- window are adding to delays.

Tauranga: A new crane will be moved to the wharf starting on 10 December, with plans to connect it to power by late 13 December. The berth is currently quite congested and will remain so until Christmas. The rail line between Tauranga and Auckland will be blocked from 27 December to 27 January. During this period, rail capacity will be replaced with truck capacity between Hamilton and Auckland.

Philippines

Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.3 days due to heavy berth congestion. This week 26 vessels are waiting outside the port compared to last week's 29.

Singapore

Singapore: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.04 days. Fifteen vessels are currently at anchor. Yard utilisation is around 75%

South Korea

Busan: The port is experiencing vessel bunching due to many vessels arriving late from previous ports. The overall situation and congestion are expected to worsen over week 50, with vessel waiting times increasing to more than 1.5 days. Ten vessels are currently waiting for a berth.

Europe

Northern European ports shut down last week due to strong winds. This has increased vessel waiting time and yard occupancy. As a result, Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam are further operational delays. At the time of publishing, 27 vessels were in the Antwerp-Rotterdam anchorage area, eight were waiting outside the German ports.

Georgia

Poti: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 3 days. There are no longer protests in the port area, and traffic flow has returned to normal. There are expectations that protests could resume next week.

Greece

Piraeus: Elevated vessel waiting times are due to bad weather and vessel bunching. The yard occupancy is 91% for laden containers and 45% for empty containers.

Spain

Algeciras: The yard occupancy is around 90%. High volumes and bunching of mainliner calls are causing delays to subsequent arrivals. Waiting times are being incurred, especially on feeder services.

Barcelona: Sporadic labour shortages can occur, especially over weekends, causing some delays.

Turkey

Mersin: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days, however some vessels can wait up to 5 days depending on size, volume and window. This is due to the recent change implemented on 1 December, which has increased congestion significantly.

United Kingdom

UK ports were also affected by heavy winds last week and over the weekend. The halting of port operations has increased berth and port congestion in Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway. Container depots and rail terminals nationally are reporting congestion issues, and empty depots are at capacity at certain locations. 

Middle East Africa

Algeria

Algiers: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.8 days; however, some vessels can wait up to 12 days.

Benin

Cotonou: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days.

Ghana

Tema: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2.25 days. 

Libya

Benghazi: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days.

Mauritius

Port Louis: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 3 days. The port is experiencing significant cargo delays because of infrastructure problems that are affecting productivity.

Mozambique

Continued protests and unrest in Mozambique have limited cargo transport and cross-border movement. This situation is volatile, and changes can be expected on short notice at the South African/Mozambiquan border. 

Beira: Due to recurring strikes and protests, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is 11 days. 

Maputo: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2 days due to terminal congestion  

South Africa

Durban: Vessel delays can be up to 12 days at Pier 1 and 24 days at Pier 2. Delays are due to crane and equipment breakdowns. According to seaexplorer, five ships are currently waiting for a berth.

Tanzania

Dar Es Salaam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days due to yard and gate congestion. The overall yard density is high due to yard capacity constraints and scanner breakdowns.

Gambia

Banjul: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 12.5 days. The port is experiencing severe congestion and works on a FIFO basis, with no berthing windows.

North America

Canada

Average import rail dwell times:

• Halifax: 14 days 
• Montreal: 10 days
• Prince Rupert: 10 days
• Vancouver: 8 days

Montreal: Vessel waiting time has reduced to less than 2 days after backlogs caused by strikes have been cleared and port operations returned to normal. Read more

Vancouver: Congestion persists in Vancouver, with vessel waiting times of more than 5 days. Five vessels were at anchor at the time of publishing. Yard occupancy is above 70%, which is contributing to delays. 

United States

Average import rail dwell times for US cargo: 

• Montreal: 8 days
• Prince Rupert: 8 days
• Vancouver: 4 days
• Charleston: 4 days
• Houston: 6 days
• Los Angeles: 6 days
• Long Beach: 6 days 
• New York: 3 days
• Norfolk: 2 days
• Savannah: 1 day

South and Central America

Brazil

Itapoa: Vessels arriving off-window can wait up to 5 days for a berth.

Navegantes: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days, but some ships can wait up to 10 days. 

Paranagua: Vessels arriving off-window can wait up to 5 days for a berth.

Rio De Janeiro: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4 days due to channel limitations from adverse sea conditions.  

Chile

San Antonio: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days. STI port has restricted empty container reception due to the high yard occupancy. Severe weather is forecast for the 11 and 12 December.

El Salvador

Acajutla: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 3 days. The situation remains unchanged. Ships are significantly delayed before they can commence operations. Trucker availability is around 3-4 days. Container pick-up from the port is subject to trucking slot availability, and some carriers are reporting shortages of dry containers.

Peru

Callao: There is a significant truck shortage due to better trucker profitability for transport to Chancay port. The shortage is expected to continue in the medium term. In addition, heavy port congestion results in trucks waiting more than 8 hours to enter the port. Some carriers report a 20-ft container shortage.

Pait/Pisco/Salaverry: Due to increased agricultural shipments, these ports have higher reefer truck demand. This shortage is expected to ease in Q1 2025. Some carriers report a 20ft container shortage. 

How Kuehne+Nagel calculate the average vessel waiting time

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

We calculate the average waiting time based on these days, 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 and 
• vessels passing through the anchorage area without intending to call at the port 

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