Kuehne+Nagel aims to provide the most up-to-date port operational information so you can make more informed decisions for your cargo. Our weekly port update covers the vessel waiting times at the top ten ports per region and other supply-chain disruptions.
Africa and Middle East
Congo
Pointe Noire: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 6 days this week. Vessels are berthing out of their windows, causing delays.
Cameroon
Douala: Congestion at the container yard continues this week. The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 7 days from 6 days last week.
DRC
Matadi: Due to high water levels and fast currents in the Congo River in the last weeks, not all ships could call Matadi. Water levels are returning to normal, allowing ships that can reach 12 knots to access the port. The Lila Canada is in port, and Maersk Regensburg will arrive later today.
Mauritius
Port Louis: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 6 days this week. Operations are back to normal after two back-to-back cyclones a few weeks ago. However, ships with cargo of national interest have been prioritised. Three cranes are not operational.
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has spiked this week to 20 days due to government directives on priority berthing, yard and road congestion.
South Africa
Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to around 5 days since the start of the week. Carriers report some ships can wait up to 10 days for a berth due to equipment challenges, high winds and swells. Three ships are currently at anchor: Bear Mountain Bridge, Kota Singa, and CMA CGM Masai Mara.
On a positive note, Cape Town Container Terminal set a new record for the number of reefers loaded on a vessel. Last week, 1726 reefer containers were loaded on the Santa Rita sailing for Europe. According to Transnet, its implemented recovery plan has ensured that efficiency and seasonal requirements were met during the current deciduous fruit season ending in March.
Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to around 8 days since the start of the week. Carriers report some ships can wait up to 30 days.
Currently, 7 vessels are at anchor: Maersk Stadelhorn, COSCO Ashdod, CMA CGM Zanzibar, BFAD Pacific, Mirador Express, Fayston Farms and Irenes Resolve.
For more details on the vessel line, consult our port page on seaexplorer.
Asia
Ports were closed for the Chinese New Year holidays from 9-11 February. In addition, dense fog resulting in poor visibility also closed ports intermittently last week. Waiting time is slightly elevated in Shanghai and Ningbo at around 2 days.
Europe
Belgium
Antwerp: Farmers protests blocked cargo movement in and out of the port this week. Workers were also hindered from entering the port facility. Seaexplorer data shows no impact on vessel waiting time.
Finnland
A three-day nationwide strike by the Finnish Transport Workers Union (AKT) from 14 February at 6.00 am to 17 February at 6.00 am is causing logistical delays and disruptions. Port stevedores have joined the strikes, bringing landside and vessel operations at ports to a halt. In addition, the strikes have impacted the loading and unloading of goods at Container Freight Stations(CFS).
Our Kuehne+Nagel teams are working on alternate solutions, routings, and contingencies for your Finnish cargo.
France
Le Havre: Waiting time for vessels has increased this week to 4 days due to strikes in France.
Further strikes are planned for February as follows:
- A 24-hour work stoppage on Thursday, 22 February
- A 24-hour work stoppage on Tuesday, 27 February, including a "dead ports" operation.
Germany
Hamburg: High yard utilisation was reported for both CTB and CTA. Vessel lineups are full, and labour availability is healthy.
On 19 February, CTA will begin shore power installation, closing 255 meters of berth. The construction side will move along the pier, permanently rendering a part of the berth unavailable. Construction is expected to last until the end of August 2024. Although the terminal will limit the impact on vessel operation as much as possible, increased waiting times are to be expected.
Netherlands
Rotterdam: Yard occupancy is around 70%. Due to the shortage of space, the port is limiting early delivery of containers and requests timely pick of shipments.
North America
Canada
Vancouver: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days again this week. The average rail dwell time is high at about 13 days. This is due to the shortage of rail cars and the reduced length of trains. Yard density at Deltaport is about 80%.
USA
Oakland: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 3 days since the start of the week. Since no operational challenges are mentioned, it can be assumed to be due to the vessel lineup. There are currently eight vessels waiting for a berth.
Central and Latin America
Brazil
Santos: According to seaexplorer, ten vessels are currently outside Santos. The waiting time has reduced to 1.65 days since the start of the week. Adverse weather conditions have contributed to this backlog.
Oceania
Australia
Although operations have returned to normal at DP World terminals, there are reports of significant delays due to the backlog. This has also had a knock-on effect on other terminals. Carriers are adjusting port rotations to maintain berthing windows and mitigate delays.
Melbourne: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.5 days. However, some vessels can wait longer. The MSC Tianping, OOCL Texas and TS Hochiminh are currently at anchor.
From 18 February, the North Park grids will be closed for four months for installation works. This will reduce road operations to 65% of standard capacity and limit slots for the day shift, impacting carrier stack run requests for both full and empty runs. Customers are asked to schedule pickups and drop-offs over the evening, night, and weekend shifts. Kuehne+Nagel expects some delays in the ability to book timeslots for container pick-up.
