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

Algiers

Congestion remains high at Algerian ports. At Annaba, Algiers, Bejaia, Oran, and Skikda, vessel waiting times are upwards of 4 days.

In Djen-Djen, vessels are waiting an average of 7 days for a berth, with some waiting up to 14 days. This is due to ships diverting from Algiers to Djen-Djen to manage congestion.

Benin

Cotonou: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.25 days.

Djibouti

Djibouti: Waiting times for vessels have increased to 8 days in Djibouti this week.

South Africa

Cape Town: The average vessel waiting time has improved this week. At CTCT, vessel delays vary per service. No delays have been reported at MPT. On the landside, truckers face challenges in securing booking slots.

Durban: Productivity has significantly improved at the port. No delays have been reported at Pier 1 and 2; however, delays at Durban Point range between 0 and 2 days.

In addition, Transnet will temporarily close Berth 108 for commercial vessels from 19 to 27 April to accommodate the delivery of ship-to-shore components.

The truck booking process, pickups, and deliveries have been running smoothly. Two vessels are currently at anchor.

Asia Oceania

China

Due to dense fog, Shanghai and Ningbo were closed for 60-65 hours last week. Both ports face significant port and berth congestion. The number of waiting vessels has increased to 160 this week after improving to 121 last week.

Further north, Qingdao experienced intermittent port closures last week. However, the number of waiting vessels has improved to 28 from 57 last week.

The congestion in Tianjin has reduced this week, as evidenced by the improvement in waiting time and the number of waiting vessels. Just three vessels are at anchor compared to 15 last week.

Japan

Japan port workers will strike for 24 hours on 27 April, halting all port operations. Read more

Malaysia

Port Klang: Vessel bunching and berth congestion can result in some vessels waiting up to 3 days for a berth. Yard congestion is above 80%, reducing productivity at the port. There are currently 22 vessels at anchor outside Port Klang.

New Zealand

Tauranga: The port is working on clearing the backlog caused by last week's two-day weather shutdown. This may create fatigue-related labour shortages later in the week. Yard volumes are at critical levels, and early export receivals are currently not possible. If there are no further disruptions, the port expects schedules to return to near-normal by week 19.

Philippines

Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days due to port congestion. Off-window vessels wait 1.5-2 days at Manila North. Both terminals were closed for 24 hours over the Easter weekend. The congestion and closures have resulted in 22 vessels waiting at anchor.

Singapore

Singapore: Congestion continues at the transhipment hub this week. Due to the congestion in Port Klang, some carriers divert vessels to Singapore. As shown in the table above, congestion and waiting times have steadily increased.

Europe

Belgium

Antwerp: Antwerp Terminals face high yard density, especially at DP World Antwerp Gateway 1700, where stacking capacity is fully utilised. Export delivery truck slots have been reduced to 30% to prioritise import container clearance.

At PSA, high yard utilisation (> 92%) and the high number of vessel calls are affecting productivity and causing delays. Strike actions, vessel phase-in and phase-out schedules, and low water levels on hinterland routes further impact the situation. In addition, labour availability has also been lower than usual due to recent holidays.

Antwerp terminals are adjusting berth priorities to expedite export and transhipment container clearance to ease congestion. Due to schedule changes, some terminals are rejecting additional import or transhipment cargo from nearby ports.

To reduce yard pressure, the terminal has stopped accepting empty containers and shortened export delivery windows from 7 to 5 days. Continued disruptions are expected until at least late April.

France

Le Havre: Crane maintenance at CNMP was completed, and the terminal is back to full operational capacity, which is expected to increase productivity.

Germany

Bremerhaven: The terminal foresees challenges post-Easter due to a labour shortage. Delays to the lineup are possible.

Hamburg: On 17 March, HHLA imposed delivery restrictions at all container terminals to combat high yard congestion. Berthing lineups remain full. Delays to pickup and delivery post-Easter can be expected. Delays to rail processing are currently 10 hours at CTB.

The port has scheduled a complete rail closure in Hamburg between 4 and 8 July. During this time, no rail transport to or from Hamburg will be possible.

Greece

Piraeus: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.79 days due to congestion.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: Labour may be an issue at some terminals due to the spring holiday break. During Easter, most terminals continued waterside operations only. Yard density has increased as a result. Congestion regarding pickup and deliveries can be expected. Feeders are delayed by 2-6 days, depending on the terminal.

United Kingdom

London Gateway Port: Yard utilisation remains high. The berthing line-up is full, challenging productivity. Delays to trucking and rail are expected post-Easter.

Southampton: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.40 days. The terminal is operating at 90% utilisation, with reefers at 70%. Due to increased pickup demand, potential landside delays are expected after the Easter weekend.

Middle East - Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): Berth congestion persists, although yard congestion has improved to around 75%. Insufficient logistical support and crane breakdowns are lowering productivity significantly. Due to a train shortage, dwell time for imports at Dhaka ICD is between 10 and 12 Days for 20 ft and between 2 and 3 Days for 40 ft.

Sri Lanka

Colombo: The port continues to be challenged by vessel bunching and congestion. Vessel waiting times have shown little change this week. At the time of publishing, 13 vessels were at anchor waiting for a berth.

North America

Canada

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

• Halifax: 7 days
• Montreal: 9 days
• Prince Rupert: 11 days
• Saint John: 6 days
• Vancouver: 11 days

Vancouver: The number of waiting vessels and the average waiting time have increased this week. Due to a constrained network, rail delays remain high. Six vessels are currently at anchor.

Mexico

Altamira: Cargo faces rail delays due to a lack of platforms. The average delay for rail imports is 48 hours, and for rail exports, it is 72 hours. Truck assignments require 48-72 hours.

Guaymas: Operations at the port are stable. Due to trucking shortages, bookings for imports and exports must be made 48 hours in advance.

Lazaro Cardenas: Rail delays are occurring due to a high export volume. The average delay for rail imports is 96 hours, and 72 hours for exports. Truck assignments require 48 hours.

Manzanillo: There are currently rail delays due to a high export volume. The average delay for rail imports and exports is 72 hours. Truck assignments require 48 hours for exports and 48-72 hours for imports.

Progreso: Operations are stable at the port. Due to trucking shortages, bookings for imports and exports must be made 48 hours in advance.

Veracruz: There are currently rail delays due to a high export volume. The average delay for rail imports is 48 hours, and for rail exports, it is 72 hours. Truck assignments require 48 hours for exports and 96 hours for imports.

United States

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

• Montreal: 5 days
• Prince Rupert: 14 days
• Vancouver: 17 days
• Charleston: 5 days
• Houston: 10 days
• Los Angeles: 12 days
• Long Beach: 10 days
• New York: 8 days
• Norfolk: 7 days
• Savannah: 5 days

South and Central America

Argentina

Customs officials will strike across Argentina on 29 and 30 April from 07:00 to 19:00. The strikes coincide with the Labour Day holiday on 1 and 2 May, which could further add to the operational delays. Read more

El Salvador

Acajutla: The 7-day average vessel time is around 7.5 days and can be up to 14 days.

Docks A-1 and A-2 are presently undergoing essential maintenance. Due to these constraints, the dock crane is currently out of service. Consequently, vessels encounter substantial delays before commencing their operations.

The yard is heavily congested, and a slight labour shortage leads to longer turnaround times. Due to congestion and a shortage, trucker availability is lacking. The departure of containers from the port is subject to trucking slot availability.

Guatemala

Maersk reports that the increase in volumes continues to affect operating conditions at Guatemala's Atlantic ports significantly.

Port congestion and slow operations at Santo Tomas de Castilla have delayed the arrivals and departures of Maersk vessels. The situation at the port has also impacted land transportation. Due to capacity issues, the entry of export equipment has been restricted, and the flow of import pick-up has been slow.

These disruptions are expected to continue in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, Kuehne+Nagel reports roadblocks at the Anguiatú border crossing between Guatemala and El Salvador, hindering the import and export cargo movement between the two countries.

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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