Successive typhoons striking China’s eastern seaboard are significantly worsening congestion at two of the world’s busiest container ports, Shanghai and Ningbo, creating substantial disruption across global supply chains.
Ongoing adverse weather has forced repeated terminal closures, delayed vessel arrivals and departures, and triggered widespread schedule reliability issues for shipping lines operating on China trade lanes. With berthing windows missed and backlogs mounting, carriers are being compelled to omit port calls, reshuffle rotations and impose surcharges to manage the fallout.
For shippers moving cargo to and from China, the knock-on effects are considerable. Extended dwell times at terminals, container equipment imbalances and reduced space availability are placing upward pressure on freight rates, while transit times to key destinations in Europe, North America and beyond are being extended.
Inland logistics networks are also feeling the strain, as delayed vessel arrivals disrupt trucking, rail and feeder services. Exporters are being advised to build additional buffer time into shipment planning and to work closely with their freight forwarding partners to secure capacity and mitigate the risk of missed deadlines.