Port workers in Belgium launched strike actions at the ports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge, and Ghent from October 5. The actions have led to delays in vessel processing and pilotage services. Port workers have suspended their strike from October 15-24 to allow time to continue negotiations with the government; however, further strikes are possible, and congestion continues at the port even as operations normalize. The strike is one of many disruptive events at ports in Europe, with protests taking place at the Port of Barcelona, Spain, on October 15, a lasher strike at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, from October 11-17, and a 24-hour strike at the Port of Piraeus, Greece, on October 14.
In the Middle East region, carriers are expecting increased costs to deliver shipments to the Port of Chittagong, Bangladesh, after the port authority implemented a revised tariff schedule on October 15. Entry fees for heavy vehicles increased by over 300%, and overall costs are expected to increase by roughly 41% at the port. CMA CGM introduced an “Emergency Cost Recovery Surcharge” of USD 45 to USD 350 per container.
In the United States, an ongoing government shutdown has seen over 750,000 government workers placed on unpaid leave. While port operations have continued uninterrupted thus far, an extended shutdown increases the risk of disruptions to customs processing. The closure of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could affect the movement of perishable goods through ports if processing times increase.
Regional Summaries
Africa
Ports across Africa are facing elevated wait times due to ongoing infrastructure construction and congestion. The ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Elizabeth, South Africa, are all experiencing at least two days of wait times, according to data from Keuhne+Nagel. Some vessels calling at the Port of Durban could face wait times as high as 10 days.
The Port of Mombasa, Kenya, is facing wait times as high as 5 days due to long-term congestion, high transshipment volumes, and vessels arriving off-window. The Port of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, is reporting heavily disrupted operations due to berth sequence and ongoing quay maintenance. The Port of Conakry, Guinea, is experiencing wait times of 9.3 days according to data from Everstream Analytics due to a high yard density and a dredging project that was ongoing through September. Some vessels could face delays of 21 days, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
Asia & Oceania
While ports in Asia and Oceania have largely recovered from the impacts of multiple typhoon passages in September and early October, some ports are still reporting ongoing delays from the storms.
The Port of Shekou, China, is reporting up to 3 days of delays due to backlogs from the passage of the typhoons. The Port of Nansha, China, is reporting between 2 and 3 days of backlog due to the storms. Lastly, the Port of Yantian, China, is reporting up to 5 days of wait times due to backlogs from the storms. Elsewhere, the Port of Qingdao, China, is facing average waiting times of 2 days, according to data from Keuhne+Nagel, due to vessel bunching.
The Port of Manila, Philippines, is facing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to data from Everstream Analytics. Wait times are elevated at the Port of Fremantle, Australia, due to a recent closure and vessel bunching, with wait times reported between 1 and 3 days.
Middle East & India
Overall, ports in the Middle East and India are not experiencing high wait times. The Port of Beirut, Lebanon, is experiencing the highest wait times, with average wait times up to 3 days, according to Keuhne+Nagel. The Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, is reporting disrupted operations due to inclement weather and port disruptions. Wait times have remained relatively low, however, despite the disruptions, with average wait times no higher than 1 day on average, according to data from Everstream Analytics. The Port of Mundra, India, is reporting some minor disruptions from inclement weather affecting operations at the port and leading to some delays of up to 12 hours.
Europe
Wait times at ports across Europe have steadily crept up amidst a flurry of strikes and protest actions disrupting operations at several key ports. The ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, Belgium, have reported ongoing operational difficulties due to a strike. Average wait times are at 1.2 days, according to data from Everstream Analytics, as the ports recover some operations after the strike was suspended to continue negotiations. The Port of Piraeus, Greece, is reporting wait times of 2.3 days after a 24-hour strike occurred on October 14. The Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, faced a strike by lasher workers from October 11-17, leading to average delays of 1.5 days, according to Keuhne+Nagel.
The Port of Koper, Slovenia, is facing the highest wait times of any port in Europe, with average wait times as high as 5 days according to Keuhne+Nagel. In Spain, protests at the Port of Barcelona have contributed to average wait times of 2.5 days, while strikes were launched at the Port of Bilbao from October 14 before being called off on October 16.
Americas
Wait times were elevated at the Port of Savannah, United States, with average wait times at 7.6 days, according to Hapag-Lloyd. The Port of Houston, United States, reported import dwell times of 3.5 days, while the Port of Charleston, United States, reported wait times as high as 14.5 days for vessels calling at its North Charleston facilities.
In Brazil, the Port of Paranaguá and Santos are experiencing severe congestion in yard areas and delays due to inclement weather. According to data from Keuhne+Nagel, average wait times stand at 2.2 days for the Port of Paranaguá and wait times stand at 2.9 day at the Port of Santos.
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