In recent weeks, container terminals at the Port of Singapore recorded high levels of congestion

Kuehne+Nagel reports that severe congestion accumulated from preceding weeks At PSA Singapore. Vessels are facing waiting times of ranging from three to five days before obtaining a berth.

Delays can be considerably longer for some vessels, particularly those carrying high volumes of transhipment discharge cargo.

While port operator PSA is managing berthing priorities, yard capacity remains under pressure and is reportedly close to full utilisation. Vessels scheduled to discharge significantly more transhipment containers than they load for export may be required to stay at anchorage for longer periods before receiving a berth.

As a result of the current situation, PSA is seeking to limit additional transhipment cargo entering the terminal while yard space remains constrained.

This means vessels carrying predominantly export cargo may receive higher berthing priority than vessels arriving with large transhipment volumes.

Operational pressure across PSA terminals has also been increased by strong carrier demand ahead of Golden Week and accumulated roll pools. Elevated pressure is expected to continue into the weeks ahead.

The latest seaexplorer data shows that over the past 30 days, the average vessel arrival delay, measured as the difference between estimated and actual arrival times, has reached 4.48 days. Meanwhile, the average vessel departure delays stand at 4.3 days.

Current terminal activity shows 55 vessels alongside berth and a further 11 vessels at anchorage, which could signal further congestion in the upcoming period.