Container Port Congestion Statistics: June 2024
53 of 89 analyzed container ports (60%) reported increased port congestion between May and June. This is a clear sign of the pressure being felt by global supply chains amidst the Red Sea crisis and surging demand for container shipping in what is being characterized by many in the industry as a “junior-COVID” environment.
Note: Port congestion is calculated as the sum of average vessel anchor and berth times during the specified time period. Download your free copy of our container port congestion report for all the data.
Most Congested Ports in June 2024
Durban continues to suffer from extreme congestion as a result of operational issues and equipment shortages.
Despite reducing port congestion by over two days, Ningbo-Zhoushan remains the second most congested in our index – a position it is likely to remain in as the world’s busiest container port continues to cope with increased demand.
Charleston continues its climb up our index of the most congested ports, jumping to third position after being ranked sixth in May and 40th in April. The agreed reopening of the Leatherman terminal following a protracted labour dispute is expected to help reduce wait times for vessels at the port.
Chittagong and Los Angeles follow with Long Beach ranking sixth as the only other port in our index with congestion in excess of three days. Manila, Vancouver, Jebel Ali and Houston round out the top ten congested ports in June.
Ports Facing Worsening Congestion in June 2024
Durban’s struggles have manifested once again with port congestion reaching a new high for 2024 of nearly 10 days, having previously been as high as 8.5 days in January.
Worsening congestion in Charleston, Port Kelang and Chittagong may be indicators of increasing congestion associated with surging demand and vessel bunching associated with the Red Sea crisis.
Ports Experiencing Reduced Congestion in June 2024
Ningbo-Zhoushan remains severely congested despite significant improvements and after ranking third in our index in May. Jebel Ali (UAE) drops to ninth most congested port in our June index.
The Port of Vancouver also saw its best month of the year, recording average congestion of 2.75 days, down from a peak of 6.27 in February.
Lomé (Togo) seems to be recovering from worsening port congestion earlier in the year that was likely linked to its growing role as a transshipment port for MSC amidst the Red Sea crisis.
Asian Port Congestion
Across 16 surveyed ports in China, port congestion averaged 1.11 days in June. While Ningbo-Zhoushan remains atop the list of congested ports in Asia, only two other Chinese ports (Rizhao and Jinzhou) in our index experienced average port congestion in excess of 24 hours last month. Of the eight Chinese ports reporting month-over-month increases in congestion, the largest increase was less than four hours.
In SE Asia and the Indian subcontinent, however, 71% (10 of 14) of analyzed ports reported worsening month-over-month port congestion in June. However, only three ports reported congestion increases of more than five hours: Port Kelang (+21 hours), Chittagong (+10 hours) and Tanjung Priok (+5 hours). In another sign of the pressure being felt by global supply chains, June port congestion in Manila averaged 2.95 days, up nearly 70% from January.
Congestion levels in Japan and South Korea remain low and largely unchanged.
North American Port Congestion
Charleston saw port congestion surge above five days in June. On the North American west coast, Los Angeles (+9 hours), Long Beach (+8 hours) and Seattle (+5 hours) also saw port congestion worsen in June. The Port of Vancouver showed the most improvement in the region as it saw average congestion drop below three days for the first time since October 2023.
European Port Congestion
At European ports, 10 of 18 analyzed ports reported increased congestion in June. Antwerp (+10 hours) and Le Havre (+9 hours) both saw combined vessel anchor and berth time increase by more than 25% month-over-month.
Mitigating the Impact of Congestion on Your Supply Chain
Port congestion can't be entirely avoided, but there are some steps that can be taken to mitigate and minimize its impact on your supply chain.
- Leverage data from visibility platforms to identify problem ports, then seek out alternatives within the same country or region that can be used to reroute your goods. For example, if the data shows that Charleston and Savannah on the US East Coast are congested or expected to be congested in the near future, try using New York or Baltimore.
- Check for ports in neighboring countries or regions that may have trucking or rail links that allow you to bypass congested ports. For example, cargo from Middelburg in South Africa can be shipped out of Maputo in Mozambique quicker than railing it to Durban.
- Monitor global and local congestion levels to understand the trend and where possible, adjust production schedules to protect against congestion related delays.
- With global congestion becoming a more persistent issue, consider using alternative local suppliers who may be closer to your manufacturing/distribution centers for smaller orders. Even if the costs are higher, when considering the delays and uncertainty of receiving the orders in time, you could benefit.
- Consider rail and road routes as an alternative to ocean container shipping where possible.
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