Port congestion intensifying
Global study by maritime data platform Beacon. The maritime data platform Beacon has analysed the latest developments in 88 ports worldwide. Whilst 2023 saw 34 of these experience only slight deterioration, with additional waiting times for ships of up to two hours, five hubs have now registered increases of more than ten hours. Conversely, only two ports managed to reduce waiting times by more than ten hours.
Port congestion remained a major challenge in 2024, with no less than 68% of the most important ports recording longer anchorage times. Strikes, extreme weather conditions and geopolitical tension, including the crisis in the Red Sea, severely disrupted supply chains and triggered a concomitant surge in global interest in this burning issue – bringing it to the level of the peak observed during the outbreak of Covid-19 a few years ago.
Canals don’t have to be chokepoints
Of the 88 ports analysed, 60 reported longer waiting times, although most delays remained under two hours. However, 30% of the ports recorded more significant delays, while 15% saw improvements. The largest increases were reported in Durban (+30.6 hours), Santos (+20.3), Charleston (+17.3), Vancouver (+16.3) and Manila (+15.7).
With 7.8 and 6.1 hours more waiting time respectively, Colón (+180%) and Balboa (+182%), at both entrances to the Panama Canal, were among the worst performers. The greatest improvements were seen in Mersin (–57.3 hours) and Gdansk (–11.7).
The effects varied regionally. North America remained heavily impacted, with average waiting times rising by four hours to 0.6 days. European ports also recorded moderate increases, including an almost doubling of waiting times in Rotterdam, which rose by 2.3 hours.
East Asia saw slight improvements, although waiting times more than doubled at two leading hubs – by 5.8 hours in Shanghai and by 1.7 hours in Hong Kong. The Mena region recorded the strongest reductions, with waiting times cut in half. Port Said on the Suez Canal mirrored this trend, with calls there becoming 2.3 hours quicker.
As global trade demand continues to rise, analysts expect port congestion to remain a crucial issue for cargo flows. Investment in port infrastructure, digitalisation and operational efficiency are vital elements to cut disruption and to strengthen the resilience of the world’s supply chains. Sustainable solutions are gaining greater importance to help mitigate the impact of delays on both the environment and the economy.