by Priya Radünzel, SeaNewsEditor
Stay ahead of supply chain disruptions and port congestion with Kuehne+Nagel’s weekly port operational update.
Middle East Africa
Algeria
Algiers: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 8.22 days. Both DPW and EPA terminals are heavily congested, resulting in high vessel waiting times. Ten vessel were at anchorage at the time of reporting.
Oran: The port is heavily congested, with an average vessel waiting time of around 1.5 days. However, carriers report some ships can wait up to 10 days. Waiting time at anchorage for feeders is 5 - 6 days.
Cameroon
Douala: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5.63 days due to network problems.
Djibouti
Djibouti: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.63 days.
Gambia
Banjul: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 8.67 days. The port is experiencing severe congestion and works on a FIFO basis, with no berthing windows.
Ivory Coast
Abidjan: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2.67 days.
Libya
Benghazi: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.83 days. Four vessel were at anchorage at the time of reporting.
Mozambique
The Lebombo border was reopened to traffic on 11 November with heavy army and police presence. The situation remains tense and unpredictable. Delays to trucks are possible as authorities process the backlog. The port of Maputo is open and operational. Read more
Beira: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 9 days, however, vessels can wait up to 12 days.
Maputo: The port has reopened after protests last week. Delays and disruptions can still be expected as the situation remains tense and unpredictable. Vessel can wait up to 2 days for a berth.
South Africa
Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days. Vessel delays can be up to 12 days at Pier 1 and 18 days at Pier 2. Delays are due to crane and equipment breakdowns.
Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. Some vessels can wait up to 3 days. The terminal is currently on standby for wind. Strong winds are forecasted from Wednesday to Friday morning this week. Based on the weather forecast, the port expects a negative impact on the berthing line-up and on vessel performance.
Port Elizabeth: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. No strong winds are expected this week. Some vessels can wait up to 7 days for a berth.
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5.79 days due to low crane productivity and capacity constraints.
Asia Pacific
China
Ports in China are facing congestion and higher berth waiting times. In Shanghai, congestion has worsened after recent typhoon-related closures. At Shanghai-Ningbo anchorage, 141 vessels were waiting at the time of publishing. In Qingdao, 20 vessels were waiting for a berth.
New Zealand
Tauranga: The average 7-day vessel waiting time is around 5 days. The berthing lineup is congested. The demolition of Crane 2 is complete, but the extensive repairs on Crane 8 are expected to significantly impact berth productivity and congestion. Rising vessel volumes further intensify the situation.
If all goes well, Crane 8 should be back in service by 17 November. Until then, the port anticipates delays across all services. The yard is heavily congested but expected to ease in the coming days. Metroport is experiencing a heavy backlog. This is expected to clear by the end of week 47.
Philippines
Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.59 days due to heavy congestion at both terminals and extreme weather.
Europe
Belgium
Antwerp: The port is facing a heavy berthing lineup and high yard density, which is leading to increased vessel waiting times. Last week's fog closures have added to congestion.
Germany
Hamburg: Terminals remain heavily congested with full berthing lineups. As a result, productivity is slow, resulting in further delays. AT CTA, train arrivals are restricted to 7 days before vessel ETA. Unofficially, truck deliveries are restricted to 48 - 72 hours prior to vessel ETA. Labour continues to be under pressure. CTB has a reduced berth capacity due to ongoing shore power construction.
Netherlands
Rotterdam: The berthing lineup is full, and yards are around 70% utilisation.
Spain
Algeciras: Yard density is around 90%, and reefer plug utilisation is high, affecting yard fluidity.
North America
Canada
On Tuesday, November 12, the Canadian government pushed for the resumption of operations at Montreal and West Coast ports.
The ports are working to return to safe and stable operations. Delays to land and waterside operations can be expected as the ports work through the backlog.
The resumption plan for rail cargo is not yet clear. Carriers will communicate this as soon as available. Read more
Average rail dwell times:
- Halifax: 9 days
- Montreal: 10 days
- Prince Rupert: 8 days
- Vancouver: 10 days
USA
Norfolk: The situation is improving, and the current turn time per container is less than an hour. Berth congestion is expected to increase in November due to crane delivery. At the time of publishing, there were six vessels at anchor.
Savannah: Sixteen vessels are at anchor in Savannah this week, up from 8 vessels last week. Gate operations remain fluid.
South and Central America
Brazil
Itapoa: Vessels arriving off-window can wait up to 5 days for a berth.
Manaus: Some vessels can wait up to 14 days due to adverse weather.
Paranagua: Vessels arriving off-window can wait up to 5 days for a berth.
Santos: Crane delivery and removal limiting berth availability in November.
El Salvador
Acajutla: The average 7-day vessel waiting time is around 1.5 days. Docks A-1 and A-2 are undergoing repairs and maintenance, and a dock crane is also out of service. These constraints are causing significant delays for vessels before they can commence operations. Additionally, yard congestion and a trucker shortage have led to low trucker availability, with an average wait time of 3-4 days. Container pick-up from the port is subject to trucking slot availability, and some carriers are reporting shortages of dry containers.
Nicaragua
Corinto: The port is highly congested due to limited capacity to service the vessel lineup. There are only four berthing windows available and one crane. Most vessels omit Corinto to avoid waiting seven days for a berth. There is no estimated time when this will normalise.
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