Ports across Africa continue to experience widespread congestion and delays.
The Port of Mombasa, Kenya, is facing major operational challenges as a result of empty container pile-ups. Loading restrictions for empty containers from the Kenya Ports Authority and delays in the delivery of raw and finished goods to the port reduced the number of empty containers that vessels are departing with. Delays are likely to continue.
Severe weather and snowfall on the coasts of Morocco led to operational disruptions at the Port of Tangier on January 28. Longer waiting times for inbound and outbound cargo transit are also affecting port productivity.
In Asia, ports continue to see stable average wait times with no significant congestion in the region. The Lunar New Year holiday has led to increased congestion at the Port of Guangzhou, China, which has prompted authorities to impose new restrictions at the port to reduce gate appointment cancellations.
Maritime traffic in the Middle East is at risk of disruptions due to escalating tension between Iran and the United States. Iran announced live fire drills in the Strait of Hormuz over the week of February 2 after the United States deployed a carrier strike group to the region following protests in Iran. The scale and length of the drills were not immediately clear, and waterway transits in the Strait of Hormuz may be impeded.
In Europe, operations at ports in Spain have been severely impacted following severe weather and a commuter train crash that has restricted rail freight movement. The ports of Barcelona and Tarragona continue to see severe impacts on rail freight movement, while operations at the Port of Algeciras, Spain, have been impacted as snowfall has disrupted truck access to the port. Operations at the Port of Algeciras, Spain, could resume by February 3.
In the Americas, a severe winter storm led to port closures and disruptions for over 12 ports across the eastern United States and Mexico. Operations have largely resumed at affected ports; however, residual disruptions may persist due to lingering cold temperatures and snow accumulation. Traffic on the Mississippi River and the Houston Ship Channel was also impacted by the weather.
Regional Summaries
Africa
Ports in Africa continue to face long average wait times and operational delays. The leading disruptors are ongoing infrastructure improvements and inclement weather.
The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Beira, Mozambique, with wait times standing at 20 days, according to data from Everstream Analytics, and Hapag-Lloyd reporting severe congestion at the port along with weather-related disruptions.
The Port of Conakry, Guinea, is facing average wait times of 10.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, and a max wait time for anchored vessels as high as 22 days.
The Port of Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo, is facing average wait times of 7.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with Hapag-Lloyd reporting that congestion is being driven by feeder delays and corrections to mainliner schedules.
Average wait times at the Port of Mombasa, Kenya, stand at 6.9 days according to Kuehne + Nagel, with equipment shortages and vessel bunching among the leading drivers of congestion at the port according to Hapag-Lloyd.
High winds have led to several operational suspensions at the Port of Cape Town, South Africa, according to Hapag-Lloyd, with Kuehne + Nagel reporting average wait times of 5 days and max wait time for anchored vessels as high as 6 days. Wind disruptions are expected to remain a risk at the port through the end of February.
Asia & Oceania
Port congestion metrics at ports in Asia & Oceania continue to remain largely positive, with the heaviest congestion reported in China and Malaysia. The highest average wait times in the region were recorded at the Port of Manila, Philippines, with average wait times at 2.4 days according to data from Everstream Analytics.
Wait times were also slightly elevated at Port Klang, Malaysia, and the Port of Ningbo, China, with both ports facing average wait times of 2.1 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel. Hapag-Lloyd is reporting heavy berth congestion at Port Klang, Malaysia.
The Port of Shanghai, China, is facing average wait times of 1.9 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with vessel bunching contributing to the congestion.
The Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia, is experiencing average wait times of 1.3 days, according to data from Kuehne + Nagel, due to equipment upgrades at the port.
The Port of Melbourne, Australia, is facing disruptions related to heat, leading to operational stoppages at the port. Wait times have not significantly increased, however, with average wait times standing at 1 day, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
Middle East & South Asia
Ports in the Middle East and South Asia are largely seeing low levels of congestion. The highest average wait times across the region were recorded at the Port of Aden, Yemen, which faced average wait times of 5 days according to data from Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of Chittagong, Bangladesh, is facing average wait times of 1. 2 days, according to data from Kuehne + Nagel, with moderate yard density. Hapag-Lloyd is reporting that the port is restricting vessels that utilize onshore offloading equipment to berth stays of 48 hours, limiting the ability to reposition cargo or collect empties.
The Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, is reporting 1.1 days of average wait times, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with inclement weather contributing to congestion at the port. Hapag-Lloyd reports that impacts on vessel berthing will likely continue for several weeks due to forecasted weather.
Europe
Ports in Europe are largely operating without significant congestion. The highest average wait times for the region were recorded at the Port of Algeciras, Spain, with average wait times at 3.3 days, according to data from Kuehne + Nagel. The port is facing weather-related disruptions that are impacting vessel schedules, according to Hapag-Lloyd. The Port of Barcelona, Spain, is also facing elevated congestion, with average wait times at 3 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, and congestion affecting all terminals, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, is facing average wait times of 1.7 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel. Hapag-Lloyd is reporting that some backlog persists following inclement weather conditions during the previous week.
Kuehne + Nagel reports that the Port of Hamburg, Germany, is facing average wait times of 1.7 days, with port operations expected to face backlogs and congestion for at least one more week, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
The Port of London Gateway, United Kingdom, is experiencing average wait times of 1.5 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with operational impacts due to sporadic pilot station closures.
Americas
Average wait times for ports in North America spiked on the United States’ east coast as a result of a severe winter storm. In the aftermath of the weather, ports have largely resumed normal operations with mild congestion persisting at several ports such as the Port of New York (1.7 days average wait according to Kuehne + Nagel), the Port of Norfolk (1.3 days average wait according to Everstream Analytics), the Port of Savannah (1.8 days average wait according to Kuehne + Nagel), the Port of Houston (1.6 days average wait according to Kuehne + Nagel), and the Port of Charleston (1.2 days average wait according to Kuehne + Nagel).
The Port of Vancouver, Canada, is experiencing average wait times of 1.8 days, according to data from Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard density and a rail dwell time of 2 days reported.
Kuehne + Nagel reported average wait times of 4.3 days at the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, with high yard utilization.
In South America, the Port of Navegantes, Brazil, is experiencing the highest average wait times of any port in the region, with average wait times of 4 days, according to Kuehne + Nagel.
The Port of San Antonio, Chile, is facing average wait times of 3.6 days according to data from Everstream Analytics.
Average wait times were reported at 2.1 days at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia, according to Kuehne + Nagel, with high yard utilization.
The Ports of Paranaguá and Itapoá, Brazil, both reported disruptions from weather impacting vessel berthing schedules, and Kuehne + Nagel reports average wait times of 1.3 days for both ports.
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