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 face significant congestion, with vessels waiting between 7 and 14 days to berth. Due to the congestion in Algiers, the port authority is diverting vessels to Djen-Djen, which is resulting in congestion and waiting times of up to 14 days. In Oran, crane issues have caused vessels to wait more than 7 days for a berth.
Mozambique
Beira: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 8 days due to severe weather.
Nacala: Tropical Cyclone Jude made landfall south of Nacala on Monday, 10 March. Flooding has disrupted container movements, and there are recurring power cuts.
South Africa
Cape Town: High winds were forecast for most of this week. According to Maersk, no terminal operations are expected to take place during this time, which could impact vessel schedules. Seaexplorer shows the ONE Resolution at anchor, now expected to berth on 21 March, according to Maersk.
Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day; however, some vessels can wait up to 6 days for Pier 1 and 9 days for Pier 2. Inefficiencies resulted from equipment breakdowns and wind delays in previous weeks.
The port commissioned the first batch of over 100 new cargo-handling machines in 2025, including 20 straddle carriers for Pier 2 and nine RTGs for Pier 1, to enhance operational efficiency. Eighteen haulers, 14 forklifts, and 16 rubber-tyred gantry cranes will be delivered during the year.
Port Elizabeth: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days due to strong winds.
Asia Oceania
Australia
Brisbane: The port was reopened after Tropical Cyclone Alfred, but high winds and swells continue to impact operations. According to a port advisory, the pilotage area has been reopened to recover shipping services; however, damage and infrastructure surveys are still being carried out.
"A phased resumption of shipping movements has commenced at the start of this week, aligned with terminal schedules and includes a maximum draft restriction of 11.0m until the channel clearance survey is complete," advised the port.
China
Congestion at Chinese ports increased this week, particularly in the Shanghai-Ningbo anchorage area. At the time of publishing, seaexplorer recorded 161 vessels in the waiting area, compared to 90 vessels last week. As evidenced in the table above, the increase in congestion has pushed waiting times in Ningbo to more than 3.5 days.
Furthermore, berth congestion has increased in Qingdao from 53 to 67 waiting vessels this week, and vessels wait more than 2 days for a berth.
New Zealand
Tauranga: The 7-day vessel waiting time is 2 days. Since the yard is highly utilised, in week 11, the port will focus on clearing the backlog accumulated over weeks 9 and 10. Normal operations will return on 18 March. Over the last three months, more than 65% of vessels arrived and departed off-window in Tauranga.
Europe
Northern European ports continue to battle congestion and port strikes. French port workers carried out 4-hour work stoppages on three days this week. In addition, a 72-hour strike is planned for week 12. High yard capacity, low productivity, and strike disruptions are affecting vessel schedules in Le Havre,
In Hamburg, a warning strike and dense fog caused some disruptions this week. Yards continue to be congested, and berthing lineups are full. Rail dealys are currently up to 13 hours.
To combat the congestion, HHLA has announced export delivery restrictions at all container terminals from 17 March. Delivery windows will be released based on ship ETA a day before stacks open. This rule will make it difficult to plan export deliveries and secure slots within the short windows. Read more
Operations at the Rotterdam ECT terminal have returned to normal, and improvements in port operations are expected. Other Rotterdam terminals continue to work under the pressure of high yard occupancy and full berthing lineups.
Rhine River
According to an announcement from MSC, water levels of the Rhine River and its tributaries have fallen again. This means a draft restriction is in place, limiting the amount of cargo that can be transported between terminals.
For the moment, draft limitations are imposed for barges from/to Antwerp and Rotterdam via the following terminals: Mainz / Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Trier, Mannheim, Germersheim, Wörth am Rhein, Karlsruhe, Strasbourg, Kehl, Ottmarsheim, Basel. The terminals affected can change on short notice.
Feeder services between Antwerp and Rotterdam are not affected.
Middle East - Indian Subcontinent
Bangladesh
Chittagong (Chattogram): The waiting time for vessels has increased to above 3 days this week. Kuehne+Nagel reports that operations are slow at the port, and working hours have been reduced for the rest of March. These factors are increasing the time needed for discharge operations, reducing the number of export loads and increasing vessel port stays. However, yard occupancy is manageable.
Dhaka Kamalapur ICD: Due to a train shortage, dwell times for import cargo to Dhaka range between 10 and 15 days for 20fts and 8 and 12 days for 40fts.
North America
Canada
In Quebec, the 2025 Spring Thaw Regulations are predicted to come into effect on 24 March. During this time, load limits are reduced on all public roads to account for the road network's lower bearing capacity. The weight restrictions will apply to all truck pre-carriage and on-carriage deliveries to and from the Quebec province. The start and end of the thaw period are weather-dependent and tentative for the moment.
Average import rail dwell time for Canadian cargo (Vessel arrival to departure rail ramp):
- Halifax: 18 days
- Montreal: 10 days
- Prince Rupert: 10 days
- Saint John: 11 days
- Vancouver: 12 days
United States
US East Coast and Gulf ports continue to face high congestion due to unprecedented weather conditions. The extended berthing lineup and waiting times in Savannah have resulted in some vessels omitting the port. According to seaexplorer, 11 vessels are at anchor this week in Savannah and Norfolk and 3 in Houston and New York.
Average import rail dwell and transit time for US cargo (Vessel discharge to destination ramp):
- Montreal: 13 days
- Vancouver: 13 days
- Charleston: 6 days
- Houston: 11 days
- Los Angeles: 13 days
- Long Beach: 12 days
- New York: 7 days
- Norfolk: 8 days
- Savannah: 4 days
South and Central America
El Salvador
Acajutla: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4 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. These factors are collectively contributing to notable delays in container pickup and delivery.
Guatemala
Puerto Barrios: Due to high volumes and the lack of port infrastructure, the port is heavily congested. The yard is severely congested at 87%. A tri-axle chassis shortage, poor road conditions, landslides, and sinkholes are impacting the inland movement of cargo.
Puerto Quetzal: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days due to high volumes and lack of port capacity. The APMT Quetzal yard is at 86% capacity. Berth occupancy is high, resulting in waiting times of 72 hours. A tri-axle chassis shortage, poor road conditions, landslides, and sinkholes are impacting the inland movement of cargo.
Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla: A shortage of port equipment and capacity is causing significant delays at the port. In addition, a truck shortage is delaying the movement of imports and exports.
Honduras
Puerto Cortes: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.5 days. Delays occur due to congestion, severe weather conditions, and labour shortages.
Nicaragua
Due to high demand, there is currently a severe seasonal trucker shortage in Nicaragua, causing delays in export and import placements.
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
