Supply chain disruptions and port congestion are here to stay. Find out what to expect in Kuehne+Nagel's weekly port operational update.
Congo
Pointe Noire: The 7-day average vessel waiting time at the port is around 4 days. Delays are caused by heavy rain, strong winds, and equipment damage. No improvement is expected in the next ten days. Reefer yard utilisation exceeds 100%.
South Africa
Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time improved in Cape Town to reach around 1.6 days. However, Maersk reported vessel berthing delays for Maersk Iyo and opted to skip the port. Delays are caused by high winds and crane breakdowns.
Durban: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 6 days. Some vessels experience longer berthing delays that could exceed 20 days due to equipment and crance challenges.
Mauritania
Nouakchott: The port is slightly disrupted this week. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4 days.
Tanzania
Zanzibar: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 7 days. The number of ships calling the port was relatively low during March.
Australia
Melbourne: While vessel handling operations at the port resume normally, terminal IT outages and civil rallies around the port have impacted container land-side logistics. Protests were also held near Sydney Port last week, causing a temporary closure of roads to the terminal.
Bangladesh
During Ramadan (12 March – 9 April), all port and cargo operations will be suspended daily from 03:00 to 06:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 local time.
China
Ningbo, Shanghai and Qingdao: Heavy fog and vessel bunching last week continue to create congestion at the ports, with waiting times ranging from 1 to 2.5 days.
South Korea
Ulsan: The rail strikes on 21 March ended after one day in the city without impacting container pick-ups or deliveries.
Italy
Failed contract negotiations pushed labour unions in Italy to call for multiple strikes at the country's ports from 3 to 5 April. The strikes will range from two to 24 hours during the said period. A 24-hour strike will take place at Genoa Port on 5 April.
Rail services to Sech Terminal in Genoa Port remain suspended as civil works were not completed as planned in week 12.
Finland
All port operations in Finland have been significantly impacted by strikes last week. The unions have announced extending the strikes until 1 April.
Germany
The union representing rail workers in Germany, the GDL, reached an agreement with Deutsche Bahn this week, eliminating the possibility of strikes impacting rail freight in the near future.
UK
Felixstowe: Wind speeds at the port are expected to exceed safe working thresholds on 27 and 28 March. Operations are likely to be interrupted during this period.
Liverpool: High Winds continued to impact operations in the past three days.
Canada
Montreal: The agreement covering the contracts of about 1000 dockers of Montreal Port ended on 31 December 2023. Labour negotiations have been going on since last year, but a deal is yet to be reached.
Recent news about a rejected request from maritime employers to designate container services at the port as an essential service opens the door for workers to strike. Nevertheless, experts believe a strike is unlikely to occur any time soon.
Vancouver: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has improved slightly this week. However, yard utilisation remains high at Detlaport (99%) and Centerm (96%).
USA
Baltimore: A containership collided with a bridge near Baltimore Port, causing it to collapse. The bridge's structure remains in the water, making it difficult for vessels to access terminals. Currently, the port status remains closed until further notice. Vessels have started seeking alternative routes.
Brazil
Santos: The 7-day average vessel waiting time increased to nearly 2.8 days last week. Pier 1 in the BTP terminal is closed for repair and is expected to reopen in July.
Chile
Coronel: Protests by port workers have forced the discontinuation of operations in the Bio Bio Region area. Negotiations between the port's management and the union are ongoing, but no end date is clear for the strikes.
Iquique: Workers at the ITI terminal started an indefinite strike on Friday, 22 March, due to the dismissal of one of its workers.
Mexico
Manzanillo: High container yard occupancy and increased import volumes last week are causing truck gate congestion and longer waiting times for rail services.
