Global Port Congestion: H1 2024 in Review

The second quarter of 2024 saw worsening port congestion levels worldwide, particularly at Southeast Asia and European ports. This data underscores the ongoing impact of the Red Sea crisis and surging container shipping demand, which continue to put pressure on supply chains.

North American Port Congestion: Struggles in Charleston, Stability on the West Coast

Our port congestion index reveals the Port of Charleston experienced a staggering 132.36% increase in congestion, with average combined anchor and berth times jumping from 1.39 days across Q1 to 3.23 days in Q2.

While Charleston struggled, other North American ports generally maintained stable congestion levels. Vancouver, despite remaining among the top five most congested ports globally, managed to reduce average congestion times by 1.44 days compared to Q1. Los Angeles also held steady, demonstrating resilience amidst high demand. This trend is encouraging for the persistently congested North American West Coast.

Elsewhere in North America, Houston and Oakland reduced congestion times by 1.5 and 1.0 days, respectively.

Asian Port Congestion: A Mixed Bag

In Southeast Asia, 64% of analyzed ports saw rising congestion. Manila reported the most significant increase, adding nearly 20 hours to average anchor and berth times. Chittagong (Bangladesh), Port Kelang (Malaysia) and Singapore also reported large increases in congestion levels.

Conversely, East Asia has shown remarkable resilience. Only four of 26 analyzed ports reported increased average congestion in Q2. Ningbo-Zhoushan, however, saw congestion rise by 17.7% despite a strong month-on-month improvement in June.

European Port Congestion: Increases Across the Board

In Europe, 12 of 18 surveyed ports experienced increased congestion, though only Antwerp and Valencia saw deteriorations exceeding five hours. St Petersburg reported the largest decrease in congestion with a reduction of 1.39 days despite still having the highest H1 average at 2.54 days. 

Ports Reporting the Largest Congestion Increases (Q2 vs. Q1)

Ports Reporting the Largest Congestion Reductions (Q2 vs. Q1)

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