by Fiona Nagorsnik, 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. 

Africa

South Africa

Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 7 days due to wind delays.

Durban: Appointment slots are limited due to the high volume of containers being processed through the Durban terminals.

Tanzania:

Bert congestion in Dar Es Salam results in waiting times of around 7 days.

Gambia:

The waiting time at Banjul has increased to around 17.3 days.

Asia Oceania

New Zealand

High winds and swells caused disruptions in Tauranga beginning of week 8.

China

Congestion is causing slightly elevated vessel waiting times all over the country. In Shanghai, dense fog in week 7 caused a vessel waiting time of around 2.2 days.

Europe 

Italy

Genoa: The terminal continues to experience congestion due to previous adverse weather conditions. PSAGP will now permit only one vessel per service to berth at a time. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.33 days

La Spezia: Starting 20 January, the Port of La Spezia will undergo maintenance, leading to a partial closure. Only one of the two main docks will remain operational, which is expected to impact port services. Despite this, operations will continue without interruption, though discharge congestion is anticipated due to the reduced operational capacity. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days

Trieste: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days due to strong winds in week 7.

Belgium

Antwerp: Terminal 1700 (DPW) is currently facing operational challenges affecting all handling areas. Due to severe yard congestion, the terminal is enacting emergency measures. With stacking capacity fully utilised, export delivery truck slots will be reduced to 30% to prioritise the swift removal of import containers. Additionally, berth priorities are being adjusted to expedite the clearance of export and transhipment containers. The terminal will reject any additional import or transhipment cargo from nearby ports due to port call changes.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: At ECT, yard utilisation is high, labour is under pressure, and productivity is below par. Furthermore, a strike began at the rail terminal Hutchison Ports in Venlo, Netherlands. Carriers report waiting times for barges between 12 and 24 hours, and feeders are delayed by 72 hours. The yard congestion is high at 90%. Additionally, the berth line-up is fully occupied for the next months. RWG has ceased the acceptance of empty containers into the yard as a precautionary measure.

APM Terminals MVII has recently experienced higher-than-usual yard density. The forecasted peak in yard density is expected to exceed operational limits. Coupled with adverse weather forecasts necessitating the implementation of a storm procedure, more drastic measures are required to prevent a complete halt in terminal operations later this week. Consequently, the acceptance of empty container deliveries via truck will cease from 07:00 on 20th February. Additionally, early deliveries will not be accepted at the terminal. Read more about these challenges here.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent 

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): A long queue of inbound container vessels has formed at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port, and berthing congestion is 2.53 days on average. A national holiday caused additional delays.

India:

Ennore: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4 days.

North America

Canada:

Vancouver: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.17 days due to severe winter weather. 

Average import rail dwell time for Canadian cargo (Vessel arrival to departure rail ramp):

The severe winter weather still challenges the rail network. Therefore, the rail dwell times remain high:

• Halifax: 17 days
• Montreal: 7 days
• Prince Rupert: 9 days
• Saint John: 8 days
• Vancouver: 11 days

United States:

The aftermath of the severe winter weather is still causing higher waiting times in Savannah, Charleston, Miami and Houston.

The NIT and VIG truck gates in Norfolk are closed due to severe weather until 21 February. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.23 days.

Average import rail dwell and transit time for US cargo (Vessel discharge to destination ramp):

• Montreal: 9 days
• Vancouver: 12 days
• Charleston: 5 days
• Houston: 14 days
• Los Angeles: 13 days
• Long Beach: 13 days
• New York: 8 days
• Norfolk: 7 days
• Savannah: 4 days

South and Central America

Argentina

The Argentinean Customs Personnel Union (SUPARA), representing customs employees, has announced a series of strikes in response to measures implemented by the national government. The strikes are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, 20 and 21 February, from 10:00 to 14:00 local time, and again on Thursday and Friday, 27 and 28 February, from 10:00 to 16:00. Read more here.

Peru

On 13 February, a lane of the Chancay bridge in Peru collapsed, causing a bus to fall into the Chancay River due to poor maintenance. This incident led to the closure of the North Pan-American Highway and suspended cargo movement to the Port of Chancay. Officials closed the Carretera Panamericana Norte in both directions. Additionally, transport workers plan a 24-hour strike on 26 February to protest sector malpractice and demand action against organised crime, which will disrupt transport services in Lima and Callao. Read more here.

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. 

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