Port congestion continues disrupting Asia-Europe shipping

Severe port congestion, labour shortages, and holiday closures are disrupting services on Asia-Europe and Mediterranean trade routes, causing delays that are expected to persist well into February.

Ports across Asia, including Shanghai and Ningbo are experiencing significant congestion due to a pre-holiday cargo rush, adverse weather conditions, and high yard utilisation.

By the end of December, over 120 vessels were anchored off Shanghai and Ningbo, awaiting berths. Delays at these ports have extended to three to four days in Shanghai and two to three days in Ningbo, while intra-Asia routes are faring even worse. Short-haul services are reporting delays of over two weeks due to vessel bunching and the backlog of empty containers.

Efforts to alleviate congestion, such as deploying sweeper vessels to remove empty containers, have provided some relief but have not resolved the underlying issues. Equipment shortages remain a persistent challenge, with major carriers like CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen reporting tight container availability at key ports in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

European ports struggle with labour, congestion and cascading delays

In Europe, labour shortages and congestion are compounding the delays. Hamburg has reported berthing delays of up to 10 days for vessels on Asia-Europe services, while Rotterdam, Le Havre, Barcelona, and Genoa are also experiencing significant disruptions. These delays are further exacerbated by strikes, holiday closures, and high volumes of traffic, creating a bottleneck that affects onward schedules.

The ripple effect of these issues is evident in the schedules of vessels operating on Asia-Europe routes. For instance, the HMM Algeciras, initially set to arrive at London Gateway on 29th December, is now delayed until 2nd February due to earlier disruptions in Rotterdam and Hamburg. Similarly, the Busan Express faces a 10-day delay at Hamburg, with its schedule pushed back by congestion at multiple ports.

Short transit times between North European ports leave little room for recovery. However, THE Alliance aims to claw back two days on the Antwerp-to-Southampton leg of its FE3 service, demonstrating efforts to mitigate cascading delays.

As delays and disruptions persist, maintaining supply chain efficiency remains our priority. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation to help shippers manage these challenges effectively. By prioritising urgent shipments and identifying opportunities to expedite cargo, we can minimise the impact on your operations.