Asian Container Ports Battle Congestion Following Typhoon Kong-Rey

05 Nov Asian Container Ports Battle Congestion Following Typhoon Kong-Rey

Typhoon Kong-Rey has left significant congestion across major Asian container ports, with delays in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Kaohsiung impacting shipping schedules. The storm, which hit Taiwan last Thursday as the strongest typhoon since 1996, halted operations and caused vessel backlogs at key ports.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s main container port, is experiencing 100% delays for all incoming ships, with a total of 69 vessels expected in the next week. Container dwell times are averaging five days for transshipments and six for exports. Shanghai and Ningbo, which temporarily suspended operations on Friday, are showing delays of 82% and 85%, respectively, affecting 195 ships in Shanghai and 116 in Ningbo over the upcoming week.

Several ships, including Kota Ganding, KMTC Manila, and Wan Hai 363, reached Shanghai on Saturday but could only berth by today or tomorrow. Other vessels, such as Venetia and Lorraine, arrived on Sunday but are unlikely to berth until Thursday. Ningbo has also experienced delays, with vessels like YM Maturity and ONE Maxim only managing to berth today despite arriving on Sunday.

Linerlytica reported a surge in North Asian port congestion, with adverse weather creating vessel queues in the Taiwan Straits and Shanghai/Ningbo region. While the backlog is expected to ease in the coming days, further scheduling disruptions are anticipated.

Amid these delays, liner operators are challenged to maintain recent freight rate hikes, which could face downward pressure if cargo demand remains weak in the seasonally slow month of November. Recent capacity utilization gains have been tied to reduced post-Golden Week sailings and advanced shipments ahead of the November rate increases.