The Strait of Hormuz continues to be the focal point for disruptions to global maritime operations. A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and Iranian-linked vessels remains in place while Iranian authorities have maintained the closure of the waterway. A U.S. military operation to escort commercial vessels was briefly started on May 4, before being halted approximately 24 hours later after guiding two vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The ceasefire remains in place, but the situation continues to pose risks of missile strikes, mine impacts, and seizures of vessels that enter the contested areas.
In Africa, inclement weather has increased congestion at several ports. The Port of Tema, Ghana, experienced disruptions due to a strike by freight forwarders on April 25 and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority suspended operations indefinitely at several terminals as a result.
In Asia, fog-related disruptions posed risks of increased wait times at ports in China. In the Middle East & India, flooding at the Port of Chittagong, Bangladesh, led to disruptions at the port. Cargo transportation to and from several container yards and off-dock locations was also impacted, affecting import and export processing.
In Europe, strikes in Italy, Greece, and France disrupted port operations. Severe rail congestion in Germany is affecting operations at the Port of Hamburg, with impacts trickling down to the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, as well.
In the Americas, average wait times have remained steady with no major disruptions.
Regional Summaries
Africa
Inclement weather accounted for increased wait times at several ports in the Africa region. The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Beira, Mozambique, at 19.3 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with Kuehne + Nagel reporting wind gusts and rainfall affecting operations.
The Port of Conakry, Guinea, is reporting average wait times of 12.44 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with congestion stemming from storage shortages and issues related to the rainy season.
Average wait times at the Port of Tema, Ghana, stand at 5.45 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with crane downtime and high transshipment congestion contributing to delays.
The Port of Harcourt, Nigeria, is recording average wait times of 5.1 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is reporting average wait times of 3.75 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with operational disruptions noted.
Asia & Oceania
Conditions across Asia and Oceania are broadly stable, though fog-related port closures are affecting several Chinese ports. The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Manila, Philippines, at 2.96 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with heavy berth congestion and high yard utilization reported.
Average wait times at the Port of Qingdao, China, reached 2.48 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with strong winds and ongoing gantry crane upgrade works compounding fog-related disruptions.
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, is recording average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with berth blockages and crane installation works ongoing. Average wait times at the
Port of Shanghai, China, stand at 1.86 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, due to strong winds and concentrated vessel arrivals.
The Port of Tanjung Perak/Surabaya, Indonesia, is recording average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Ningbo, China, is facing average wait times of 1.47 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, and is also experiencing high yard occupancy amidst a holiday cargo rush, while Hapag-Lloyd reports that fog-related closures are resulting in average waiting times of 12 to 24 hours.
The Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, is reporting average wait times of 1.33 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
Middle East & South Asia
Ports across the Middle East and South Asia continue to operate under severe strain from the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran. The highest wait times in the region were reported at the Port of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, with average wait times of 3.8 days, according to both Kuehne + Nagel and Everstream Analytics, and notable disruptions reported.
The Port of Ashdod, Israel, is facing average wait times of 2.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Nhava Sheva, India, is reporting average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, however, Hapag-Lloyd advises that operational slowdowns are expected as adverse weather approaches.
The Port of Mundra, India, is recording average wait times of 1.92 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with slight congestion reported and the same weather-related operational slowdown expected by Hapag-Lloyd.
Europe
European ports are facing low to moderate average wait times across the board. The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Barcelona, Spain, with wait times of 3.17 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Southampton, United Kingdom, is facing average wait times of 2.6 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with Hapag-Lloyd noting that yard utilization is high.
The ports of Gdansk, Poland, and Fos-sur-Mer, France, are each recording average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Hamburg, Germany, is facing average wait times of 1.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard utilization and crane modernization works ongoing. Hapag-Lloyd also reports high yard utilization.
The Port of Felixstowe, United Kingdom, is reporting average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Rijeka, Croatia, is recording average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
Americas
Overall, wait times at North American ports were manageable. The Port of Mobile, United States, recorded the highest average wait time in the region at 5.4 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Altamira, Mexico, is reporting average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Vancouver, Canada, is facing average wait times of 1.86 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high terminal utilization and all vessels currently operating on a proforma schedule. Hapag-Lloyd reports that the average import rail dwell time stands at 3.4 days, with anchorage queues and inland congestion also reported.
The Port of Houston, United States, is recording average wait times of 1.64 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with waiting times of up to 3 hours at both Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals.
South American ports reported higher average wait times than their North American counterparts. The Port of Paranaguá, Brazil, recorded the highest average wait times in the region, with wait times standing at 3.5 days, according to Everstream Analytics. Hapag-Lloyd reports high yard utilization.
Average wait times at the Port of Santos, Brazil, were 3.3 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with Hapag-Lloyd reporting a high volume of channel maneuvers and a full berth window.
The Port of San Antonio, Chile, is recording average wait times of 2.33 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Antofagasta, Chile, is facing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with high yard utilization, according to Hapag-Lloyd. The Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is reporting average wait times of 1.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
Lastly, the Port of Callao, Peru, is recording average wait times of 1 day, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
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