Port Congestion | Week 3 Large-scale Delays at Ports on European and American routes; Israeli Air Strikes on Houthi Forces Exacerbate Port Congestion

North European Port Congestion Situation

Recently, according to relevant reports, the congestion situation in North European ports is severe. The occupancy rates of the docks in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, and Southampton are very high, leading to a significant increase in ship berthing delays.

It is understood that some ships arriving in Rotterdam will face delays of up to 4 days. In the Antwerp-Rotterdam area, the number of anchored ships has increased from 16 to 22.

Mediterranean Port Congestion Situation

The congestion situation in Mediterranean ports is also deteriorating. The occupancy rates of the docks in Valencia, Barcelona, Algeciras, and Piraeus are also very high, and the waiting time for ships is increasing. In addition, due to the yard occupancy rate of about 90% in Algeciras, Spain, the high traffic and concentration of mainline ships have led to delays for subsequent arriving ships.

Cape of Good Hope Area

Due to the situation in the Red Sea, ships need to detour around the Cape of Good Hope area. The recent unrest in Mozambique has caused port congestion, seriously affecting logistics efficiency.

According to relevant reports, the unrest in Mozambique has severely disrupted the operations of the main ports of the African country. The entire region has felt the domino effect of cargo transportation, with the extension of cargo transportation time affecting the entire supply chain.

It is understood that Maputo Port and Beira Port are the busiest ports in the region, and due to the shortage of dock inventory, there have been delays in cargo handling and ship loading and unloading. The unrest has also caused damage to port infrastructure, resulting in a decrease in the total number of ship calls at Maputo Port and Beira Port?from 139 to 128.

Israeli Airstrikes on Houthi Militants Worsen Port Congestion

According to foreign media reports, due to the air raid operations of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, some port tugs were damaged, and the berthing operations of oil tankers were hindered. This has led to a congestion of oil tankers at Yemen's Ras Isa Port, with a significant decline in port operating efficiency.

According to relevant data, at least 15 oil tankers are currently gathered in the port or nearby, some of which are carrying Russian fuel.

The accumulation of tugs is a symbol of the delays that have troubled the shipping market for over a year, increasing sailing time and costs. The ongoing maritime attacks in the region, including the Israel Defense Forces' attacks on Yemeni targets and the Houthi attacks on Red Sea vessels, have disrupted an important trade route, forcing many ships to change course.

Relevant maritime security companies said that last month, when the Israel Defense Forces launched attacks on Ras Isa Port and Hodeidah Port, there were 30 ships nearby, with 22 at Ras Isa Port and 8 at Hodeidah Port, and no commercial ships were damaged.