VESSELS are now reportedly having to wait upto seven days for a berth at Singapore, versus normal conditions where at most a vessel had a half day wait for a berth, according to a report Singapore, they believe, is the current epicentre of the backlogs.
There are up to 450,000 TEU in the queue, Contributing to the backlog is the dramatic increase in transit times for containers coming out of Asia.
It has caused shipping companies to push every available vessel into service and, will force them to extend their charters. Major carriers have repeatedly warned of the impact the Red Sea diversions are having on their services. Meanwhile, nearly half of all Asia-Europe westbound sailings have failed to depart on time as congestion escalates in Asian ports, It said that last week only six out of 11 Asia-North Europe sailings departed on schedule, with congestion at Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas severely disrupting the market. The strain has reportedly also shifted to Port Klang & Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia. Waiting times have also risen across all main Chinese port regions, with Shanghai and Qingdao experiencing the longest delays. Ships have had to wait as long as five days to berth in the world’s busiest port Shanghai, it is learnt, where logjams are at their highest since Covid. S&P vessel-tracking data had showed 50 containerships in Shanghai, including at anchorage. Some had been in the port since last week, as per a report.