Welcome to the March edition of the Global Logistics Update, your essential guide to staying ahead in the dynamic world of international trade. The global logistics landscape is navigating a series of complex challenges and transformations, demanding constant vigilance and adaptability. This update provides an overview of the key challenges and emerging trends shaping the movement of goods worldwide, with a particular focus on the persistent issue of port congestion and the evolving market forces that drive them.
South African Ports
South African ports are integral to our economy, facilitating the movement of goods domestically and internationally, acting as key hubs across Southern Africa. Managed by Transnet National Ports Authority, these ports support a variety of cargo types, including bulk commodities, containers, liquid fuels, and automotive products. The primary ports include Durban, Cape Town, Richards Bay, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth, Port of East London and Saldanha Bay, each with varying degrees of challenges and advancements. We expand on our three main ports as summarised on a weekly basis below:
We highlight in these images vessels currently at anchorage pending berth at our 3 main ports. Port congestion and delays have been reported with Durban at 7 days, Cape Town at 9 days and Coega at 2 days on average.
South Africa’s key ports, particularly Durban and Cape Town, continue to face significant operational challenges that impact their efficiency and the broader logistics landscape. Contributing factors include adverse weather conditions, port inefficiencies, equipment shortages, and infrastructure issues, which have collectively hindered effective cargo handling. Despite efforts by Transnet Port Terminals to deploy new equipment and implement maintenance schedules, these measures have not fully alleviated the congestion. Consequently, there is a growing risk of cargo being diverted to alternative ports in the region.
Gemini schedule reliability falls below 90% target for the first time
The platform’s latest two weeks of data, which now include Gemini’s first head-haul arrivals into North America, show that while reliability remains high, “the downward trend unfortunately continues”.
https://theloadstar.com/gemini-schedule-reliability-falls-below-90-target-for-the-first-time
Global Ports
Global ports are the linchpins of international trade, serving as the critical interface between maritime transport and land-based supply chains. Their efficient operation is paramount to the smooth flow of goods, impacting everything from consumer product availability to global economic stability. Global port congestion is a complex issue, and we therefore only review basic routing, infrastructure demands and vessel berthing delays.
Port Updates:
Ports not mentioned under each region, experience minor berthing delays of less than 2 days.
AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS
Angola/Nigeria/Tanzania– Berthing delays of 4-5 days experienced at main ports
Ghana/Ivory Coast- Berthing delays of 3 days experienced at main ports
*Nigeria is experiencing high levels of congestion, please expect delays
NORTH AMERICA
Canada
Montreal/Toronto/Vancouver – Berthing delays of 5-10 days experienced at main ports.
USA
New York/Norfolk/Miami/Houston/Charleston – Berthing delays of 2-3 days experienced at main ports
Oakland/ Savannah/ Seattle – Berthing delays of 4-6 days experienced at main ports
*Carrier schedules are erratic with last minute vessel rotations.
LATIN AMERICA
Brazil/Mexico – Berthing delays of 3 days on average experienced at main ports.
NORTH WEST CONTINENT, UNITED KINGDOM, MEDITERRANEAN
Belgium/Turkey/Spain – Berthing delays of 3-4 days experienced at main ports
France/Germany/Italy/Netherlands – Berthing delays of 4-7 days experienced at main ports
UK – Berthing delays of 4 days experienced at London Gateway Port. Currently experiencing high level traffic. Expansion plans underway.
INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT & MIDDLE EAST
India/UAE/Sri Lanka – Berthing delays of 2 days experienced at main ports
*FCL containers transhipping in Columbo have expected delays of 1-2 weeks.
ASIA PACIFIC (Including Oceania)
Korea/Shanghai/Nansha/Ningbo/Shanghai/Xiamen – Berthing delays of 2-3 days experienced at main ports
Xingang/Qingdao – Berthing delays of 4-6 days experienced at this port
Singapore – Berthing delay of 2 days with an expected 2-week transshipment delay due to blank sailings.
*Upcoming Holiday Festival 4-7 April will cause delivery delays as main offices and service providers will be closed.
China Secures 62.42% Of All New Ship Orders Globally, Per Latest Data
China has once again become the world’s top shipbuilding nation by securing 62.42% of all new ship orders globally.
Global Port Tracker – Import cargo levels continue to rise among uncertainty over tariffs
Amid continuing tariff turmoil, imports at the nation’s major container ports are expected to remain elevated through this spring but volume could see year-over-year drops
Trade Atlas 2025
DHL has released a study looking at Global Trade for 2025 and how U.S. trade policy may impact it. We share some parts of the ‘Trade Atlas’ and should you wish to access interactive charts or read in full, kindly follow link provided.
The report found that global trade is expected to grow moderately faster over the next five years compared with the previous decade. The growth will be a little slower than expected should the U.S. tariffs kick in and other countries retaliate.
Three main findings in the report:
- Only 21% of the value of all goods and services produced around the world ultimately ends up in a different country from where it was produced. There is still very large potential for trade growth.
- Three countries ranked among the top 30 on both the speed (growth rate) and scale (trade volume) of their goods trade over the past five years: the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Ireland.
- During the next five years, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are forecast to rank among the top 30 for both speed and scale of trade growth. India also stands out as the country with the third-largest absolute amount of forecast trade growth (6% of additional global trade), behind only China (12%) and the United States (10%).
https://www.dhl.com/global-en/microsites/core/global-connectedness/trade-atlas.html
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.
OPINION: Why not declare TPT an essential service?
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/opinion-why-not-declare-tpt-essential-service
US maritime choke point investigation ‘not about trade’
https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/containers/us-maritime-choke-point-investigation-not-about-trade-
Global shipping crisis deepens as Red Sea becomes no-go zone
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/global-shipping-crisis-deepens-red-sea-becomes-no-go-zone
Global shipping entities discuss impact of the FAL Convention
https://safety4sea.com/global-shipping-entities-discuss-impact-of-the-fal-convention
Africa’s contributions crucial in shaping global shipping policies – Oyetola
Border inefficiencies blamed for Botswana backlogging
https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/border-inefficiencies-blamed-botswana-backlogging
Hapag-Lloyd CEO: Gemini still outperforming rivals despite early dips in reliability
Sources & References
Seatrade Maritime / Loadstar / Freight News / GoComet / Maersk / Openpr / Transnet / WeFreight / MSC / AfricaPorts / Container Statistics+News / Flexport / SACO / Hellenic Shipping / Worldcargonews/ Maritime Executive / GCaptain/ Linerlytica / The Cape Independent / Nan news / Freight Waves.