Kuehne+Nagel aims to provide the most up-to-date port 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.
Africa and the Middle East
Cameroon
Douala: Yard occupancy is high in Douala. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 8.39 days.
Congo
Pointe Noire: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 4.5 days. Carriers report congestion in reefer yard.
Djibouti
Djibouti: The port remains heavily disrupted due to high yard congestion and limited crane availability. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 5 days.
Ghana
Takoradi and Tema: The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2.68 days. Productivity is hampered by crane breakdowns in Takoradi. New cranes will be in commission in mid-January in Tema.
Egypt
Suez Canal: After several attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, carriers have re-routed ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
This week Maersk announced it would resume transits through the Suez Canal for some of its vessels. Other carriers have not yet advised changes to their plans. For a list of diverted vessels, refer to our updates on Sea News. For a visualisation of the affected vessels, register for Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer.
Israel
In light of the issues in the Red Sea, some carriers have stopped accepting bookings for Israel, while others are using alternate routing. The ports of Ashdod and Haifa are operating as usual.
Senegal
Dakar: Ships are waiting an average of around 4 days in Dakar due to congestion and poor productivity. Container yards are also congested, slowing down import deliveries. The port is also battling equipment issues, which is adding to delays.
South Africa
Cape Town: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 4 days in Cape Town this week. Only one vessel - CSCL Africa - is currently at anchor. Weather and crane issues are slowing the movement of containers at the port.
Durban: Vessel waiting time in Durban remains high this week at almost 11 days due to weather and equipment issues. According to Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer, 7 vessels are currently anchored outside the port.
Port Elizabeth: Waiting time for vessels calling Port Elizabeth has decreased this week from 5 to 2.5 days.
Tanzania
Dar es Salaam: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased this week to 18.85 days. Vessel bunching, bad weather, and power outages are impacting productivity. Government directives allow certain vessels priority berthing.
Asia
The 7-day average vessel waiting time at Chinese main points is below 2 days this week despite closures due to winter weather.
The Lunar New Year holiday in China will take place from 10 - 17 February 2024. Service providers such as barge operators are announcing limited to no operations during this time. Shipments should be planned in advance to avoid delays.
India
Tuticorin: The 7-day vessel waiting time is around 4 days at the port. Productivity is limited after flooding caused a power outage at the port. Generators are being used for vessel operations, but power has not yet been restored to all areas.
Europe
Stormy winter weather has caused some operational stops at ports across northern Europe. The impact on waiting times has been limited.
North America
Canada
Vancouver: The 7-day average vessel waiting time has increased to 3.67 days this week. Yard utilisation is high, and there is a shortage of rail cars at Vanterm.
USA
US-Mexico border: US border officials closed two rail bridges between Texas and Mexico after detecting a surge in migrants smuggling through Mexico by train. The closure of the El Paso and Eagle Pass international railway crossing bridges caused significant disruption to cross-border rail freight. The border has been reopened this week to rail movements. The suspension of vehicle crossings is still in place.
Oakland: Dredging works and the delivery of new cranes have caused some delays at the port. The 7-day average vessel waiting time is around 2 days.
Central and Latin America
Brazil
Manaus: Water levels have improved, and carriers have resumed calls to Manaus. However, draft conditions will still be in place, limiting the capacity of vessels calling the port.
Navegantes: The port is open without restrictions; however, it is experiencing berth and yard congestion due to backlog. Neighbouring ports of Paranagua and Itapoa are also witnessing congestion.
Santos: Adverse weather conditions have delayed the movement of ships into and out of the port and increased waiting times to almost 3 days.
Mexico
Inland transportation in Mexico remains challenging due to a lack of drivers, roadblocks, and port congestion. Container movements for cargo in Ensenada, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Altamira and Veracruz are affected.
Customers are advised to plan container movements early, factoring in delays. For further details on the situation per port and recommendations for customers. please refer to Kuehne+Nagel advisory.
Lazaro Cardenas: Congestion continues to a large extent both for the entrance and within the port, which is causing delays in shipments and empty container returns. For this reason, there could be an equipment shortage and a lack of trucks.
Delays of up to 10 hours inside the port are possible. Customs processes are also being rescheduled, causing further delays in services.
Veracruz: Bad weather closed the port last week. Waiting time has increased to 4 days this week.
Panama Canal
Since rainfall and water levels for November were less adverse than expected, the canal authority will increase the number of vessel transits from 22 to 24 transits per day starting 16 January. This is positive news for container ships, which have been delayed due to the limited number of transits announced in October. Read a full Kuehne+Nagel assessment on the Panama Canal here.
Oceania
Australia
Ongoing industrial action at DP World terminals in Australia has been extended further to 8 January. This is impacting vessel schedules and increasing congestion at container yards and adjacent ports. More details on the strikes and how they affect Oceania can be found in our Kuehne+Nagel assessment.
Brisbane: Truckers have reported systems/equipment outages, and maintenance of Automated Stacking Cranes at DP World terminals is extending truck waiting times.
Melbourne: Waiting times for vessels calling Melbourne have risen to 4 days. The Port of Melbourne has reported high levels of congestion, compounded by congestion at other ports and the ongoing industrial action.
