by Manal Barakat, 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

Algeria

Annaba and Bejaia: The ports are currently severely congested. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 11 days in Bejaia.

Oran and Skikda: Due to congestion, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days in Oran and 10 days in Skikda.

Cameroon

Douala: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days.

Ivory Coast

Abidjan: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.78 days. Yard congestion is resulting in lower productivity and berthing delays.

Morocco

Casablanca: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.77 days.

Asia Oceania

China

Due to the weather storm last week, vessel waiting times did not improve significantly. Most key ports are experiencing berth and port congestion. The 7-day average vessel waiting time for key ports is as follows:

• Ningbo: 1.49 days
• Qingdao: 1.22 days
• Shanghai: 2.13 days
• Yantian: 1.07 days

Malaysia

Port Klang: Vessel bunching continues to cause slight delays at the port. The average vessel waiting time is approximately 1.17 days. The high yard density is at around 85% and impacts productivity.

Philippines

Manila: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has improved this week to 1.52 days. However, off-window vessels can wait several days for a berth.

Singapore

Singapore: Congestion increased the average 7-day vessel waiting time this week to around 1.61 days. The yard remains congested at 95% capacity.

Europe

Belgium

Antwerp: The terminal yard utilisation remains high. The berth's cranes 3 and 4 are out for maintenance, which is significantly impacting operations. The average 7-day vessel waiting is 1.29 days.

France

Le Havre: The 7-day average vessel waiting time improved this week to around 1 day.

Germany

The Kiel Canal Authority has announced the completion of long-term maintenance on one of the Big New Locks at Brunsbuettel. This week, all four Big New Locks in Kiel and Brunsbuettel are fully operational, ensuring that westbound and eastbound transits can proceed without any allocation delays.

Hamburg: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.67 days. Yard utilisation at CTA is 74%. Berth 1 construction began on 11 August, reducing berth space for three weeks. Operational challenges may arise as feeders compete for limited slots. CTH is at around 90%. The berthing line-up at CTB is congested, with a waiting time of up to 5 days.

Italy

Genoa: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.5 days.

Trieste: Congestion at the Port of Trieste is resulting in partial discharge operations and queues at the terminal gate for both unit collection and return.

Venice: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 6 days.

Netherlands

Rotterdam: Terminals continue to face high utilisation levels. Barge and feeder delays are up to 48 hours. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.91 days.

Poland

Gdansk: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3.3 days.

Gdynia: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days.

Spain

Algeciras: Carriers report yard density has improved to around 77% and a busy berthing line-up. TTIA adopts a dynamic berth model prioritising loading-heavy vessels to maintain terminal flow. The port is restricting empty container returns.

Barcelona: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is 2 days. At BST, yard density is high, leading to some delays. Labour is slightly lower than usual due to the holiday period.

Valencia: Due to vessel bunching, the 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.3 days. Yard density remains high, and the gates are slightly congested.

United Kingdom

London Gateway Port: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 3 days. Recurring IT issues have caused a significant backlog in operations. Berth 4 currently accommodates a maximum draft of 15.1 metres, requiring close monitoring of vessel drafts during berth line-up planning.

Southampton: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.33 days, and the yard capacity is around 90 with reeferes at 70%.

Indian Subcontinent

Bangladesh

Chittagong (Chattogram): The 7-day average vessel waiting time improved this week to around 2.24 days. However, berthing delays remain at CCT, CGB and NCT. Chittagong port is experiencing 3-5 days of berthing delay for gearless vessels and 01-03 days of berthing delay for geared vessels. Yard occupancy is at 90%.

India

Nhava Sheva: The meteorology department of India has issued a Red Alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Palghar due to extreme rainfall from 19–21 August. Nhava Sheva Port has suspended vessel movements; delays are reported across container yards, CFS, and transit routes. Rail and road transport are severely affected by waterlogging, with major highways and train lines submerged. Read more.

North America

Canada

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

• Halifax: 4 days
• Montreal: 7 days
• Prince Rupert: 6 days
• Saint John: 6 days
• Vancouver: 8 days

Montreal: St. Lawrence Ship Channel water levels are forecast to remain below chart datum in the upcoming period. The port remains cautious of possible limitations to navigation around the port. Rail and truck operations continue with minor delays. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1.5 days.

United States

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

• Montreal: 4 days
• Prince Rupert: 5 days
• Vancouver: 5 days
• Charleston: 2 days
• Houston: 8 days
• Los Angeles: 7 days
• Long Beach: 7 days
• New York: 4 days
• Norfolk: 3 days
• Savannah: 1 day

South and Central America

Hurricane Erin, now a Category 4 storm with winds reaching 130 mph, has disrupted operations in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, prompting the US Coast Guard to set Port Condition FOUR. While ports have reopened to vessel traffic, mariners are urged to proceed cautiously due to potential floating debris. Read more.

Kuehne+Nagel reports that bad weather led to the closure of the Chile/Argentina border crossing “Cristo Redentor Border.” Heavy Snowfall complicated Argentina’s cargo exports sent via Chile.

Colombia

Cartagena: Although congestion is improving, transhipment volumes remain high, and delays are expected.

Costa Rica

Caldera: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 1 day. The port is currently congested, and the infrastructure cannot cope with the influx of volume, leading to fluctuating levels of disruptions.

How Kuehne+Nagel calculates the 7-day average vessel waiting time (H3)

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.