Recently, due to the strong demand for containers in the market, the chaos caused by the Red Sea crisis continues, global ports have further signs of congestion, shipping consultancy Linerlytica released on 3 June weekly report shows that the global queue waiting to enter the port of the container capacity rose to 2.1 million TEUs, accounting for 7.1% of the total global container capacity.
In addition, a number of major ports in Europe and the United States are facing the threat of strikes, adding fuel to the already chaotic global maritime transport.
Foreign traders shipping to the following ports must pay attention to local port risks and remind customers in a timely manner!
Singapore port congestion
The port of Singapore is the world's second-largest container port and a major transshipment hub in Asia, and the port congestion is critical to global trade.
There was a surge in the number of containers waiting to berth in Singapore in May, with the highest number of containers waiting to berth having reached 480,600 20-foot TEUs at the peak in late May.
The Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), in order to ease congestion, re-opened the abandoned Keppel Terminal (Keppel Terminal) old berths and yards, but also added a large number of manpower to deal with the container backlog.
But according to a recent report by Linerlytica, an Asian container consultancy, container ships in Singapore may now have to wait up to about seven days for a berth, while under normal circumstances ships only have to wait half a day at most.
This has led some shippers to abandon berthing in Singapore and move to other neighbouring ports such as Malaysia, putting even more pressure on the already congested and low-capacity port and potentially worsening the situation over the next month, according to Linerlytica's recent report.
Durban Port Congestion
The Port of Durban is South Africa's largest container port, but according to the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2023 released by the World Bank, it ranks 398th out of 405 container ports in the world.
The congestion at the Port of Durban is rooted in extreme weather and equipment failures by port operator Transnet, which have left more than 90 ships waiting outside the port. The congestion, which is expected to last for months, has been further exacerbated by the shipping giant's imposition of congestion surcharges on South African importers due to equipment maintenance and lack of available equipment, adding to the economic pressure.
Colombo harbour congestion
The Port of Colombo, which has a backlog of 50,000 TEUs of cargo due to labour shortages and declining efficiency, has led to delays and rate hikes that have thrown cargo transshipment at the key South Asian transshipment port into disarray. Freight rates in Colombo have doubled due to congestion and delays, with shippers needing to book a space eight weeks in advance.
The congestion at the port of Colombo is not only affecting itself but also its neighbours India and Bangladesh.
Strikes at all major French ports
June 10: All of France's major ports, particularly the container hubs of Le Havre and Marseille-Fosse, are facing the threat of a month-long strike in the near future, which is expected to lead to serious operational disruptions and interruptions.
The strikes are being planned by unions representing dockers and other port workers, who are planning several one-day strikes in June, as well as a number of stoppages lasting up to four hours, in protest against the government's pension reforms that have raised the mandatory retirement age.
The first 24-hour strike broke out last Friday, 7 June. The unions plan to continue the strike action in the coming weeks, which could be extended into July if they fail to get a satisfactory response from the government.
During the first strike, it was reported that at the port of Le Havre, ro-ro, bulk and container terminals were blockaded by dockers, resulting in the cancellation of calls for four vessels and delays for a further 18. Meanwhile, in Marseille-Fosse, some 600 dockers and other port workers blocked the main truck entrance to the container terminal. Also affected were the French ports of Dunkirk, Rouen, Bordeaux and Nantes Saint-Nazaire.
Strike in the Port of Hamburg
Port workers in the German port of Hamburg launched a warning strike on 7 June local time, leading to the suspension of terminal operations. Terminals of companies such as Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA) and Eurogate have been affected as a result.HHLA said its Hamburg branches would join the strike, including the Burchardkai (CTB), Altenwerder (CTA) and Tollerort (CTT) container terminals.
Freight forwarding giant Kuehne+Nagel issued an alert on its website that following the Hamburg port strike, trade union Verdi had also announced two more strikes at Bremen and Bremerhaven.
Strike threat in US East and Gulf of Mexico ports
In the latest news, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) has halted negotiations over concerns about the use of automatic door systems at APM terminals, potentially triggering strikes by dockworkers in the eastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico.The ILA is the largest dockworkers' union in the United States.
The port impasse on the U.S. East Coast mirrors what is happening on the West Coast for much of 2022 and 2023. In June last year, a six-year labour contract agreement was finally reached at 29 US West Coast ports, ending a 13-month period of stalled, tense negotiations, strikes and the relocation of cargo to other locations.
Retailers in Europe and the US have now opened replenishment stocks in advance to deal with transport delays and supply chain uncertainty. Foreign traders who are busy shipping must keep an eye on shipping rates and space changes!
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