Welcome to the October edition of our Global Logistics Update. The logistics industry continues to navigate through the landscape of potential disruptions and evolving trends. From ongoing labour disputes to fluctuations in freight rates and shifting supply chains, businesses around the world must remain agile to navigate these challenges.
South African Ports
Local ports continue to face severe operational challenges and high traffic volumes as we approach the last quarter of 2024. Main ports including Durban, Coega and Cape Town are experiencing varying degrees of congestion and delays as follows:
These ongoing challenges are part of broader global shipping disruptions, with impacts on scheduling reliability, especially due to factors like global conflicts and weather. Businesses should continue to plan for potential delays and schedule amendments as we navigate these disruptions into the final months of the year.
We highlight in the images below, vessels currently at anchorage pending berth at our major ports, showing a recent increase outside Durban.
Port congestion and delays have been reported with Durban at 18 days, Cape Town 4 days and Coega 6 days on average.
Transnet Anchorage Report 14th October 2024
Container handling at South African ports down – Saaff/Busa
Following a relatively even-keel performance towards the end of September, the start of October was marked by an 8% decrease in container throughput at the country’s ports – from a daily average of 8 072 to 7 384 week-on-week. According to the last Cargo Movement Update, port operations were mainly constrained by inclement weather conditions, equipment breakdowns and shortages.
The update, compiled by the South African Association of Freight Forwarders and Business Unity SA, said: “Strong winds, high swells, and vessel ranges represented the main operational constraints at the Port of Cape Town. “At the same time, adverse weather and equipment breakdowns ensured operational delays in Durban,” over which industry is still absorbing Wednesday’s KwaZulu-Natal High Court ruling in favour of APM Terminals (APM T).
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/container-handling-south-african-ports-down-saaffbusa
Global Port Statistics
Port Updates:
East African Ports: Some congestion experienced at these ports with no severe impact.
Angola – Berthing delays of 3 days experienced at Luanda Port
Tanzania – Berthing delays of 8 days experienced at Dar es Salaam port.
Kenya/Ghana/Nigeria/Senegal/Ivory Coast – Berthing delays of 1-3 days experienced at main ports
Mauritius/Mozambique/Namibia – Berthing delays of 4-6 days experienced at main ports
Canada:
Toronto – Berthing delays of 10 days experienced at this port
Montreal – Berthing delays of 6 days experienced at this port.
Vancouver – Berthing delays of 2 days experienced at this port
US: The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement as of October 3, 2024, effectively ending the strike that impacted U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports. Port workers resumed operations on Friday, October 4, 2024. Operations at the ports resumed however, we anticipate residual delays and disruptions will persist for some time as ports, trucking, and rail services operate at full capacity to clear the backlog caused by the strike. Waiting times for berths at the affected terminals are expected to increase as a result of the strike.
Hurricane Milton had a major impact across Florida halting all operations across major ports and airlines. All gateways will reopen when it is safe to do so.
New York/New Jersey/Charleston – Vessel waiting time up to 7 days experienced at major ports.
Norfolk/Miami/Oakland/Port Everglades – Vessel waiting time is up to 3-4 days.
Houston/Savannah – Vessel waiting time is up to 6 days.
Los Angeles/Long Beach/Seattle – Vessel waiting time is up to 2 days.
Argentina/Brazil/Mexico – Berthing delays of 2-6 days experienced at these ports.
North West Continent, UK, Mediterranean: Vessel schedule delays continue to impact the region.
Belgium/Netherlands/Italy/Sweden – Berthing delays of 3-4 days experienced at major ports.
Germany – Berthing delays of 5 days experienced at Hamburg and 1 day at Bremerhaven
France//Spain – Berthing delays of 1-2 days experienced at major ports
Turkey – Berthing delays of 3 Days experienced at Istanbul port
UK – Berthing delays of 3 Days experienced at London Gateway Port. Ongoing disruptions expected
Indian Sub-Continent & Middle East: Capacity constraints continue on services out of the Indian Sub-Continent
India –Berthing delays of 3 days experienced at Nhava Sheva and 1 day at Chennai ports
UAE – Berthing delay of 2 days experienced at Jebel Ali port.
Lebanon – Berthing delay of 6 days experienced at Beirut port.
Schedule amendments still impacting both inbound and outbound cargo and container movements.
APAC and Oceania:
Hong Kong/ Korea/ Malaysia/Nansha/Qingdao/Shekou/Xiamen/Vietnam– Berthing delays on average 1-2 days at main ports.
Shanghai/Ningbo/Taiwan – Berthing delays of 4-6 days experienced at main ports
Singapore – Berthing delay currently 1 day, Transhipments have expected delays of 2-3 weeks on FCL’s.
Port Congestion Holds Steady at Major Hubs as Mid-Sized Ports Struggle
Port congestion is an inevitable consequence of typhoons and hurricanes, geopolitical disruption in the Red Sea and USEC labour action.
Following similar events in Bangladesh in August, both Ningbo and Shanghai ports were forced to halt operations due to Typhoon Bebinca in September. But XL ports (those with an annual throughput greater than 10M TEU) have proven their resilience and ability to absorb much of the impact of such events. Despite the weather related disruptions, both Ningbo and Shanghai ports recorded lower average vessel anchor and container dwell times in September compared to August.
Medium sized ports, however, are more likely to be feeling the effects of the endless series of supply chain crises. Average anchor times at ports with annual throughput between 500,000 and 4,000,000 TEU consistently see average vessel anchor times in excess of their larger counterparts. In September, seven of the ten most congested ports (by anchor time) fall into this category. These ports also see more volatility in congestion levels. Looking at the difference between the min and max monthly average anchor times over the past six months, medium sized ports occupy the top three spots: Charleston (3.5 days), Chittagong (3.0 days) and Durban (2.8 days).
https://www.beacon.com/resources/port-congestion-september-2024
Shippers to opt for direct port calls over speed of service, predicts MSC’s Soren Toft
MSC chief executive Soren Toft has predicted that global supply chains will increasingly fragment in the near future, leaving shippers prioritising direct port calls over speed of service. In a keynote speech delivered earlier at the opening session of the International Association of Ports Harbours (IAPH) annual World Port Conference, Mr Toft explained that the carrier’s recently published standalone 2025 service network reflected a belief that supply chains are undergoing profound change.
“Supply chains are no longer centred around just a few countries, and no longer rely on one or two major markets, but are becoming more dispersed and we believe that requires a broader port coverage in the network.
Freight News
We understand the importance of staying up to date with the latest trends, challenges, and advancements in our industry and we wish to highlight just a few articles which you might find of interest.
Court slams the brakes on privatisation of DBN container terminal
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/court-slams-brakes-privatisation-dbn-container-terminal
Durban privatisation contract with ICTSI is safe, Transnet claims
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/durban-privatisation-contract-ictsi-safe-transnet-claims
Durban’s container terminal implements successful truck booking solution
https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/durbans-container-terminal-implements-successful-truck-booking-solution-2024-10-10
US port strike disruption bodes well for airfreight
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/us-port-strike-disruption-bodes-well-airfreight-dhl
Climate change threatens global shipping flows – and insurers are feeling the pressure
https://www.news24.com/fin24/climate_future/opinion-climate-change-threatens-global-shipping-flows-and-insurers-are-feeling-the-pressure-20241008
The impact of fuel prices on global shipping costs
https://theafricalogistics.com/2024/10/impact-of-fuel-prices-on-global-shipping-costs/
South Africa looks back on a difficult citrus export season
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/south-africa-looks-back-difficult-citrus-export-season
Apparel Importers Beware: Chittagong Congestion Surges Following Political Unrest and Catastrophic Flooding
https://www.beacon.com/resources/chittagong-port-congestion-surges-political-unrest-flooding
Sources & References
Seatrade Maritime / Loadstar / Freight News / GoComet / Maersk / MSC / Transnet / WeFreight / Beacon / Reuters / MSC / AfricaPorts / Container Statistics / Flexport / SACO