Supply chain disruptions and port congestion are here to stay. Find out what to expect in Kuehne+Nagel's weekly port operational update
How is the average vessel waiting time calculated?
The average waiting time calculation considers the number of days that mainline container vessels wait at designated anchorage areas for their announced port call.
This calculation excludes waiting times for feeder vessels, idle ships without an announced next port, and slow steamers heading towards anchorage but not waiting within the anchorage area.
Middle East Africa
Cameroon
Douala: Vessel waiting time remains elevated at around 3.5 days for Douala. Three vessels were waiting at anchor at the time of publishing.
Egypt
Damietta: Carriers report on-time vessels waiting for a berth in Damietta. At the time of publishing, seaexplorer showed three vessels at anchor.
Ghana
Tema: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased further this week to almost 5.5 days. Regular power outages, heavy rains and high swells impacted the berthing lineup and port productivity.
Saudi Arabia
Dammam: The average vessel waiting time has increased to 3 days this week. Three vessels were at anchor at the time of publishing.
South Africa
Cape Town: Although the average waiting time is around 2 days, some vessels can wait up to 8 days. Berthing delays are due to port equipment issues.
Durban: The average waiting time improved somewhat this week. Nevertheless, carriers report some ships are waiting up to 19 days for a berth. Dredging operations and equipment challenges are causing delays.
Port Elizabeth: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2 days due to adverse weather and equipment challenges.
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam: Waiting times at the port have increased again to 9 days. According to seaexplorer, five vessels were waiting at anchor at the time of publishing.
UAE
Jebel Ali: The port is heavily congested both at the berth and at container yards, reducing port productivity and delaying inter-terminal transfers. In addition, two cranes are out of service, increasing berthing delays.
Asia Pacific
Australia
Terminals in Australia are facing delays and congestion due to adverse weather last week, which caused port closures. Carriers have announced port omissions for Sydney and Fremantle on specific services to ensure schedule integrity.
China
Shanghai: Carriers report vessel waiting time of around 1 day at Shanghai WGQ. At Shanghai YS, the average waiting time is around 3 days due to berth congestion and vessel bunching.
Ningbo: Carriers report minor waiting times in Ningbo due to vessel bunching and increased transhipments.
Qingdao: Waiting times have improved further this week as congestion stabilises.
India
Nhava Sheva: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. The terminals are dealing with late-arriving vessels and vessel bunching. Late vessels are berthing with delay. A berth has been under construction at NSFT since 1 March, reducing the number of berths available and lowering overall productivity. The port does not allow for early container clearance, which, in the current situation, is causing delays. Some carriers have reported equipment shortages.
Malaysia
Port Klang: Westport is heavily congested, increasing vessel waiting times. Late vessels wait an average of 2-3 days. Yard utilisation is over 90%, reducing the efficiency of vessel and yard operations.
Tanjung Pelepas: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 1 day. Some carriers report waiting times of 2-3 days at the port.
Philippines
Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.2 days. This is due to crane commissioning and installation hampering productivity.
Singapore
Singapore: Berth congestion continues due to vessel bunching and high yard occupancy. The port has reopened an old terminal to alleviate the pressure. The Red Sea situation and consequent congestion have resulted in a 2-week waiting time for transhipments.
Sri Lanka
Colombo: Waiting times have improved this week. Nevertheless, the port is facing heavy berthing and terminal congestion, and weather delays. The Red Sea situation and consequent congestion have resulted in a 2-week waiting time for transhipments.
Europe
Belgium
Antwerp: An oil spillage at Deurganckdock severely impacted waterside operations at the MSC's MPET terminal from 7-11 June. Operations have since resumed; however, delays in container handling can be expected due to the cargo backlog. Carriers may also implement contingency plans for vessels due to the delays.
France
Stevedore strikes at all French ports began in May and will continue until the end of June. In addition to the four-hour strikes planned, full-day strikes were recently announced as follows:
- Four hours strikes between 10:00 and 16:00: 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 24, 26 and 28 June
- Full-day strikes: 7, 13, 21 and 25 June.
Germany
Bremerhaven: A strike took place in Bremen on 11 June, impacting stevedoring operations. Operations in container depots were unaffected.
A strike in Bremerhaven took place during the early shift on 12 June. Work stoppages occurred at all container terminals and for port operations.
Hamburg: Warning strikes at the port of Hamburg took place on 7 June from 17:30 to 23:00, impacting container handling operations at all terminals. Rail and trucking operations were also suspended, adding further pressure to the shortage of truck and rail booking slots.
Netherlands
Rotterdam: On 10 June, Rotterdam World Gateway shut down all operations for several hours due to heavy wind. In a separate advisory, the terminal requested customers to pick up containers as soon as possible due to yard congestion.
Spain
Barcelona: Waiting times have increased to 4.5 days this week due to heavy congestion from additional vessel calls and transhipment volumes.
Valencia: Waiting times have decreased slightly by 1.37 days this week. Nevertheless, the port is facing increased vessel calls and transhipments.
North America
USA
The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) halted talks with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) due to the USMX’s use of an Auto Gate system, which it says violates the current agreement. This move has increased the risk of strikes this year. The labour contracts for port workers along the US East and Gulf Coasts will expire on 30 September 2024. Read more
Charleston: Vessel waiting times have increased to over 6 days this week. Carriers report a 9-day delay at Wando Welch Terminal (WWT) and 2 days at North Charleston Terminal (NCT). The delays in WWT result from the toe wall construction, which reduced the number of berths available from three to two. At the time of publishing, 15 vessels were at anchor.
South and Central America
Argentina
A port worker's strike will take place at all Argentinian ports from 12:00 to 24:00 on June 12. Delays can be expected. Last week, tug boat operators held a 48-hour strike in Argentina, affecting the movement of containerships in and out of Argentinian ports. Read more
Brazil
Navegantes: High swells limit in and out berthing movements in Navegantes, which increases the vessel waiting time.
Chile
Valpariso / San Antonio / Lirquen / San Vicente / Coronel: A heavy swell warning has been raised for the ports in central and southern Chile. Vessel movements will be restricted between 12 and 16 June. Gate operations are taking place as normal.
Panama
Panama Canal: As of 11 July, the Panama Canal Authority will add another booking slot for the Neopanamax locks, increasing the total number of daily transits to 33. Read more
Cristobal / Manzanillo / Balboa / Rodman: The ports are heavily congested due to cargo rerouting caused by the Red Sea situation and strikes at Chilean ports. This is delaying container transhipment and creating a labour shortage to handle the increased volumes. Yards are around 90% capacity, resulting in slower productivity.
Stay Ahead Stay Informed: Register for seaexplorer for the latest disruptions and vessel waiting times at global container ports.
