Kuehne+Nagel aims to provide the most up-to-date operational information so you can make more informed decisions for your cargo. Our weekly Port Update summarises events impacting global port operations this past week and what should be considered when planning future shipments.
Operational News
Africa
South Africa
Cape Town: Kuehne+Nagel sources revealed that severe weather conditions are further straining operations at South Africa’s ports. Waiting times for ships to berth at the Cape Town container terminal extend to 12 days. The terminal is suffering from labour and equipment issues, as well as regular crane malfunctions and intermittent work stoppages due to heavy winds.
Durban: Congestion in Durban is slightly higher due to high yard congestion and crane malfunctions. The 7-day average vessel waiting time at Durban Port is nearly 7 days.
Asia
China
Shanghai – Ningbo: Vessel waiting times at Shanghai and Ningbo ports have increased in the past week. The 7-day average vessel waiting time for the port complex increased by nearly 0.7 days from 3.79 days on 11 October. Today, about 90 vessels are anchored outside the ports.
Israel
Ashdod: According to a statement by the port, terminals continue to operate around the clock despite the emergency situation. Nevertheless, the security measures adopted at the port are causing ship berthing delays. The number of waiting vessels increased, creating a backlog. Seaexplorer data shows that the 7-day average vessel waiting time is 1.52 days. Shipments of dangerous goods were wholly suspended until further notice.
Haifa: The port continues to work as usual, with reports of a few ships waiting to berth. Like Ashdod, all dangerous goods bookings to, from and through Haifa have been stopped until further notice. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is currently 1.42 days.
It is, however, expected to increase as some carriers divert ships to Haifa Port due to safety concerns. Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen declared force majeure on one of its shipments planned to call Ashdod Port. The Ever Cozy vessel was diverted to Haifa as a security measure.
Europe
Poland
Gdansk: Port waiting time at the port has slightly increased over the past 7 days, from 1.42 days on 9 October to 1.88 on 18 October. Operations continue to witness delays due to high yard utilisation and labour shortages.
United Kingdom
Liverpool: High winds and severe weather conditions at the Port of Liverpool have impacted container terminals early this week, leading to a partial halt of operations. Some vessels experienced delays in departure times, ranging from 1 to 2 days.
Central and Latin America
Guatemala
While the political situation remains strained in Guatemala, the media revealed that the movement of containers in and out of the country’s ports has now resumed. Earlier, roadblocks placed by protestors hampered trucking operations, specifically at the ports’ gates.
Nevertheless, port and trucking operations are still experiencing delays due to the backlog created last week. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is currently 1.33 days at Puerto Quetzal and 1.25 days at Puerto Barrios.
Panama
The Panama Canal imposed new restrictions on the number of vessels allowed transit, dropping the number to 31 per day. According to the latest update from the Canal’s dashboard, the total number of vessels (container and non-container vessels) queuing for transit reached 96 vessels today.
In the meantime, the Canal started applying water-saving measures. These include reusing water from one lock chamber for use in the other and attempting simultaneous lockages, where two ships transiting at the same time occupy the same chamber.
Oceania
Australia
Work bans affecting overtime and shift extensions continued this week at DP World terminals in Australia. The latest news from the port operator expects the industrial action to remain until the end of the month. Work stoppages ranging from two to 24 hours are also scheduled in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle ports.
As of 18 October, the 7-day average vessel waiting time at these ports is as follows:
- Brisbane: 1 day
- Sydney: 1 day
- Melbourne: 2.48 days
- Fremantle: 1.9
Other Port News
Asia
India
Vizhinjam Port
On 15 October, India inaugurated its first deep-water container terminal, the Vizhinjam Port, with an investment estimated at $925 million. The new facility marks a significant development for the country’s maritime sector. The port, which will be operated by Adani Ports, has an initial handling capacity of 1 million TEU and will add nearly 6.2 million TEU capacity in subsequent phases.
North America
United States
New York
Following CMA CGM’s acquisition of two key New York terminals, the French giant announced renaming the facilities to Liberty New York and Port Liberty Bayonne. The carrier plans to invest nearly $600 million to upgrade the two facilities to increase their capacity by 80% and create 1,000 new jobs.
Canada
Montreal
Nearly $110 million will be invested at the port to construct a new container terminal in Montreal. The new terminal will include a 675-meter-long dock, a rail network linking to existing Canadian National Railway tracks, road access to the public network, and a container handling yard.
