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Dense fog, high volumes and the impact of changes to carrier alliances last month are causing congestion at Shanghai’s Yangshan Port, the world’s busiest container port.
Back in March, we reported on the new carrier alliances that came into effect on the 1st April. These changes involved more than ten ocean carriers, such as Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and COSCO Shipping and brought with them amendments to routes and the introduction of larger vessels. These adjustments, coupled with dense fog that started in early April and unexpected high volumes have caused chaos in Shanghai with average delays for ships arriving in port increasing by more than 42% since the beginning of the month, to 53 hours between April 16 and 18.
“We are making efforts to adjust and coordinate the entire port’s resources and making every effort to provide customers with the fastest service,” said a spokeswoman for Shanghai International Port Group, which first flagged the situation last week in a statement on its website.
German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd told customers in a notice on Thursday that it was monitoring the situation closely and working with the port to minimise delays.
Denmark’s Maersk Line, part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, also confirmed that some of its vessels had been affected by the congestion.
The current waiting times for vessels are around 48 hours, and while congestion does appear to be easing slightly, there have been reports that some vessels have experienced delays of up to 10 days in recent weeks. Congestion currently looks set to continue until mid-May, however, we’ll keep customers apprised of any updates as we receive them.
At John Good Logistics, we’re monitoring the situation in Shanghai very closely, and we’re already in touch with any customers whose shipments may be affected. However, if you have any concerns or questions, please speak to your Account Manager.
Source: Reuters