Aftermath from Typhoons in Asia:
Container congestion and vessel delays continue in China ports almost two (2) weeks after the last Typhoon caused severe disruption. Sailing schedules are in disarray and vessels are facing lengthy delays in the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen. The situation has worsened due to vessel bunching. Delays of 5 to 10 days are now being seen in these ports as shipping lines juggle port rotations, not only in China but also the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Australian ports are all being impacted.
We are seeing more and more vessels omit ports or change port rotations in Australia to try and return sailing scheduling back to a reasonably normal level.
Congestion in Indonesian ports:
Congestion in Indonesian ports has not improved, Surabaya and Jakarta are the worst affected with hundreds of container bookings being continually rolled time and time again. There is no indication of any line adding additional capacity to clear the backlog caused by weather events and an unexpected volume increase in July and August. Sailings are booking out well in advance with little space now available in the first half of September.
Suez Canal Update:
A number of shipping lines have sent “dark” vessels through the Suez Canal in the last couple of weeks, they have disengaged tracking equipment to avoid detection and attacks by Houti rebels.
It is understood the Maersk-Hapag Lloyd coalition, CMA-CGM Line and MSC Line have moved several vessels through the canal as a test. There is no indication that a full return to the Canal usage is imminent at present.
Low Water Levels:
European inland waterways are suffering from low water levels due to the current drought with many feeder barges being unable to operate to the ports of Hamburg, Antwerp and Rotterdam. This has moved a large volume of container to road movement throughout inland Europe.
The Panama Canal has also suffered the same fate with daily vessel movements via the canal halved in recent weeks resulting in a slower transit through the lock system.