Global port congestion at new high as more typhoons hit China

Severe weather in East Asia has pushed global port congestion to record levels, with 4.3 million teu currently stalled at sea. The Loadstar reports that a succession of typhoons, including recent impacts from Typhoon Narra, has disrupted vessel schedules across the region. This backlog has surpassed the previous volume peak recorded in 2022, though it represents a smaller relative portion of the total global fleet than during the pandemic.

North Asian ports are experiencing the most significant delays, accounting for approximately half of all stalled capacity worldwide. Additional bottlenecks are emerging at South African facilities due to mechanical failures and at the Panama Canal as transit availability tightens. Despite these constraints, container shipping consultancy Linerlytica notes that the current 4.3 million teu tied up accounts for 12.6% of the 34.4 million teu global fleet.

The restricted vessel supply has bolstered transpacific freight rates, which saw slight increases for routes to both the U.S. West and East coasts. While transpacific demand remains firm, analysts observe that European demand has been less resilient. According to Linerlytica, "East coast rates continue to outperform" due to a combination of limited capacity, Chinese port congestion, and draft restrictions affecting the Panama Canal.