A ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran seemed to provide some hope for a return to normalcy for regional shipping traffic, however, the Strait of Hormuz currently remains closed by Iranian forces.
The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, reportedly preventing at least 34 vessels from passing through, and seized two oil tankers since the blockade was put in place.
Iranian forces have allegedly fired on three vessels and seized two cargo ships. While a ceasefire is officially in place, the waterway continues to be highly contested. Even in the event of a peace deal being reached, it will likely take 4-6 weeks for carriers to resume service offerings at pre-war levels.
In Africa, the Port of Tema, Ghana, faced disruptions from a strike by freight forwarders in the port on April 17. The workers have since suspended their strike after securing some concessions from the government, but strikes could resume if no progress is made in the negotiations.
Further disruptions at the port occurred on April 25 when demonstrators blocked access to the Kpone Unity Terminal. The port has suspended all operations at the terminal.
Meanwhile, APM Terminals announced that it will suspend wharf operations at its terminal in the Port of Nhava Sheva JNPT/Mumbai/Jawaharlal Nehru, India, from 08:00 to 17:00 local time on May 1 due to planned power shutdowns scheduled by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority. The terminal operating system, gate, rail, and yard operations are expected to remain fully functional.
In Europe, a work stoppage is planned at the Port of Le Havre, France from 10:00 – 14:00 local time on April 30. The port’s terminals are expected to be closed during this period.
The Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation will launch a 24-hour nationwide strike in Greece on May 1 from 00:01 to 24:00 local time.
In Germany, water levels on the Rhine River near Kaub stand at 124 centimeters as of 15:30 local time on April 27 raising fears that disruptions could occur if water levels fall further. If water levels fall below 78 centimeters, large ships will only be permitted to load a third of their capacity.
A truck driver strike in various parts of Argentina affected operations at the Port of Bahía Blanca in Buenos Aires Province in the first half of April. According to reports, no grain-transporting truck entered the port for at least a week during the strike. Long lines of vessels have led to waits of 3.5 days for tanker and cargo vessels to transit the Panama Canal, with longer waits due in part to shipping disruptions following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Regional Summaries
Africa
African ports continue to face some of the highest wait times across the globe, driven by inclement weather and diversions around the Cape of Good Hope. The highest wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Beira, Mozambique, with average wait times of 22.1 days, according to Everstream Analytics. Kuehne + Nagel reports that the port remains heavily disrupted.
The Port of Conakry, Guinea, is facing average wait times of 13.2 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 Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is facing average wait times of 10.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with heavy congestion reported.
Average wait times at the Port of Freetown, Sierra Leone, have risen to 8.5 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, recorded average wait times of 8.3 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with severe congestion across gate and road operations according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Mombasa, Kenya is facing average wait times of 5.4 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with berth delays and congestion reported.
Asia & Oceania
In Asia & Oceania, most ports continue to avoid any major disruptions with overall wait times comparatively low. The highest wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Manila, Philippines, with average wait times of 3.6 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with the congestion arising from late vessels missing allocated berthing windows.
The Port of Qingdao, China, is facing average wait times of 2.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with heavy congestion reported.
Average wait times at the Port of Singapore, Singapore, stand at 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with slight congestion reported.
Some disruptions were reported at both, the Port of Sydney, Australia, and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, according to Kuehne + Nagel, but wait times stand at 1.8 days for both ports.
The Port of Ningbo, China, is facing average wait times of 1.6 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
Middle East & South Asia
The conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran continues to pose severe operational disruptions for ports in the Middle East and South Asia. Despite an earlier announcement from Iranian authorities that the Strait of Hormuz was reopen, another announcement quickly followed that claimed the strait was closed again.
While some vessels have made scattered transits, most have taken place with transponders turned off and under the cover of darkness. The allegation that Iranian forces could have deployed mines in the waterway remains another deterrent to vessel traffic.
The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Bandar Abbas, Iran, with average wait times at 6.9 days, according to Everstream Analytics.
The Port of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, is facing average wait times of 6.7 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 Colombo, Sri Lanka, is experiencing average wait times of 2.2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with the port seeing stable operations despite the congestion.
Average wait times at the Port of Kolkata, India, stand at 1.9 days, according to Everstream Analytics, while the Port of Nhava Sheva, India is facing average wait times of 1.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
Europe
Overall congestion has fallen at ports in Europe following the Easter holiday. The highest average wait times for the region were recorded at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium, with Kuehne + Nagel reporting that average wait times stand at 2.3 days and that the port is facing heavy congestion.
The Port of London Gateway, United Kingdom, is facing average wait times of 2 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, while the Port of Barcelona, Spain, is experiencing average wait times of 1.8 days with some disruptions to port operations.
The Port of Hamburg, Germany, and the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, are both facing average wait times of 1.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Southampton, United Kingdom, is facing some congestion but operations remain stable, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with average wait times at 1.7 days.
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 4.6 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.
The Port of Manzanillo, Mexico, is facing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard utilization.
Kuehne + Nagel reports that the Port of Vancouver, Canada, is facing average wait times of 1.3 days.
In South America, average wait times remain more elevated than in North America. The highest average wait time in the region was recorded at the Port of Paranagua, Brazil, where average wait times stand at 5.5 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with high yard utilization reported.
The Port of San Antonio, Chile, is facing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Buenaventura, Colombia, is facing average wait times of 1.5 days, according to Everstream Analytics, with high yard utilization.
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