A ceasefire between the United States and Iran provided a glimmer of hope for maritime transits through the Strait of Hormuz, however, Iranian restrictions on which vessels would be permitted through the waterway has kept transits to a minimum. On April 13, President Trump ordered a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz beginning April 14 after a deadlock in negotiations, further complicating the picture for vessels attempting to transit.. Major carriers have still not resumed scheduled services in the region. The conflict has led to major impacts on the global maritime sector and vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz were at risk of being targeted in retaliatory Iranian strikes. On April 4, the MSC ISHYKA was struck by a drone while moored at Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain.
In Asia & Oceania, the passage of Tropical Cyclone Vaianu forced the suspension of inbound traffic into the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. The Port of Mongla, Bangladesh, saw operations disrupted beginning on April 2 as a result of fuel shortages. Lighters were unable to assist with loading and unloading from larger ships, leading to stalled activities.
Easter holiday operations across Europe have led to reduced port staffing, creating backlogs at several major terminals with effects expected to persist into mid-April. The Port of Le Harve, France faced a port strike from April 4-11 that disrupted multiple terminals and affected inbound and outbound traffic. A Russian strike led to some infrastructure damage at the Port of Odessa, Ukraine.
Operations at the Port of Veracruz, Mexico, were disrupted after a fire occurred during unloading operations. Port workers launched a strike on April 9 at the Port of Montevideo, Uruguay, that was expected to last for 24 hours.
Regional Summaries
Africa
Average wait times across African ports remain elevated and could rise further as diversions around the Cape of Good Hope continue. The highest wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Conakry, Guinea, with average wait times of 19.2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with severe congestion and poor terminal performance reported, and berthing delays reaching up to 22 days, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, recorded average wait times of 9.4 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with severe congestion across gate and road operations. Hapag-Lloyd reports that the DPW Terminal is facing waits of 7 to 8 days, while the Adani Terminal is experiencing delays of up to 72 hours.
The Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is facing average wait times of 7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with slight congestion reported.
The Port of Beira, Mozambique, is facing average wait times of 6.9 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Kribi, Cameroon, is reporting average wait times of 6.2 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with very high yard utilization for reefer cargo and wait times of approximately 5 days.
Asia & Oceania
Ports across Asia & Oceania continue to see stable conditions overall, however, fog-related disruptions impacted several Chinese ports. The highest wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Manila, Philippines, with average wait times of 2.1 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The ports of Qingdao and Shanghai, China, both recorded average wait times of 1.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel; fog contributed to heavy congestion at Qingdao, with average waits of 24 to 48 hours, while at Shanghai, fog disruptions have been easing, with wait times of 12 to 24 hours for Gemini services and approximately 36 hours for non-Gemini services, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of Ningbo, China, is facing average wait times of 1.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with average waits of 12 to 24 hours for Gemini services and 48 to 72 hours for non-Gemini services, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, recorded average wait times of 1.6 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with congestion reported to be increasing.
Average wait times at the Port of Tanjung Perak/Surabaya, Indonesia, stand at 1.8 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Port Klang, Malaysia, is also facing average wait times of 1.6 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with slight congestion reported.
Middle East & South Asia
Ports in the Middle East and South Asia continue to face severe disruption from the ongoing conflict in the region, with vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remaining far below normal levels despite the April 8 ceasefire announcement as a result of Iranian restriction on vessels that may transit and the U.S. naval blockade imposed on April 14. The highest average wait times were recorded at the Port of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, with average wait times of 13 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with severe congestion reported and Hapag-Lloyd noting that the port is operating as normal under conflict monitoring conditions.
The Port of Karachi, Pakistan, is facing average wait times of 4.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with heavy congestion persisting at the port.
Average wait times at the Port of Nhava Sheva, India, stand at 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with moderate congestion and bad weather forecasted in the coming days, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of Salalah, Oman, is experiencing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with the port recovering from prior disruptions and operating as normal under conflict monitoring conditions, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
Europe
Ports in Europe are experiencing elevated congestion, with the Easter holiday reducing staffing across terminals and creating backlogs expected to persist into mid-April. The highest average wait times for the region were recorded at the Port of Barcelona, Spain, with average wait times of 3 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, however, congestion is increasing. The closure of the Rubí tunnel on March 14 for urgent structural repairs has halted international rail freight between Barcelona and France, compounding terminal pressure.
Average wait times at the Port of Le Havre, France, stand at 2.4 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with vessel bunching and heavy congestion reported.
The Port of Genoa, Italy, is facing average wait times of 2.3 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with severe and increasing congestion reported at the port.
The Port of Felixstowe, United Kingdom, is facing average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with congestion easing but still elevated.
The Port of Valencia, Spain, is reporting average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with congestion easing and stable operations.
Average wait times at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, stand at 1.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard utilization across terminals but congestion gradually easing.
The Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, is experiencing average wait times of 1.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with yard utilization varying by terminal and max anchored wait times of 24 to 72 hours.
Americas
Average wait times for ports in North America remained largely positive. The highest average wait time in the region was recorded at the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, with average wait times of 2.3 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard utilization across terminals and berth congestion reported.
The Port of Houston, United States, is facing average wait times of 2 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with slight congestion and minor delays related to crane commissioning, according to Hapag-Lloyd. The Port of Savannah, United States, is reporting average wait times of 1.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with heavy congestion and vessel waiting times of up to 72 hours reported by Hapag-Lloyd.
In South America, average wait times were more elevated than in North America. The highest average wait time in the region was recorded at the Port of Valparaiso, Chile, with average wait times of 2.4 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
Average wait times at the Port of Paranagua, Brazil, stand at 2.1 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with high yard utilization and wait times of up to 48 hours. Hapag-Lloyd reports that ongoing rail replacement works on several piers are expected to be completed by the end of April.
The Port of Buenaventura, Colombia, is facing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with high yard utilization.
The Port of Callao, Peru, is experiencing average wait times of 1.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of San Antonio, Chile, is facing average wait times of 1.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with weather disruptions and temporary closures reported.
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