International Port Terminals Update
18 October 2022
Provides a summary of terminal operating conditions in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Europe and UK
Courtesy of Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA)
Japan
The average vessel berth waiting time at Tokyo is 0 to 36 hours due to berthing congestion.
Terminal capacity utilisation is at 90%. Kobe port terminal average vessel berth waiting time
is 0 to 24 hours. Terminal capacity utilisation is at 89%
Korea
Pusan:Terminal capacity utilisation average is at around 67%. All Pusan terminals have restricted gate-in access for local and transhipment exports to within 3 to 5 days in an effect to improve terminal capacity utilisation. Vessel berthing waiting time varies from 24 hours to 96 hours depending upon terminal concerned.
China
Shanghai: Average berth-waiting time is 12 to 48 hours at SIPGSD YS4 terminal and 1.5-to 2.5-days Waigaoqiao Port (WGQ) terminal. Terminal capacity utilisation is at 70% to 78%.
Ningbo: Terminal capacity utilisation is at 78%. Average berth-waiting time is 1 to 2.5 days.
Terminals are encountering vessel berthing congestion due to recent effects of the Typhoon.
Nansha: Guangzhou South China Oceangate Container Terminal (GOCT) terminal berthing is currently with an average waiting time is 0 to 24 hours. The port is gradually resuming normal operations with vessel productivity back to around 90% Thus, vessel port stay times have increased.
Yantian: Vessel berthing and waiting time is currently around 0 to 24 hours. Terminal capacity is currently at 82%. The terminals have restricted vessel services such as vessel repairs, AGM inspection, vessel & bunker survey, and vessel supplies. All Terminals are using contactless mode of cargo operations.
Qingdao: Vessel berthing delays and congestion is being impacted by bad weather conditions and vessel bunching which is leading to intermittent closure of port terminals.
Average berthing waiting time is between 24 hours to 48 hours.
Shekou: All berths are currently operating however terminal capacity utilisation remains at 75%. Vessel wating time is currently around to 1 day. However, these maybe impacted by
recent typhoons. From July 2022 all terminals have lifted imports restrictions in the handling of import reefer containers loaded with fruits that have originated from Vietnam. The ban on import cargo for dangerous goods IMO 3, IMO 8 and non-dangerous chemical cargo being
Boric Acid has now been lifted.
Hong Kong: Modern Terminals Limited (MTL) utilisation and capacity is at 52% for general containers and utilisation for reefer containers continues to be at a high level. Average
vessel waiting time is 0 to 12 hours.
Singapore: Vessel berthing average waiting time is 0 to 6 hours for Import and export vessels. Terminal capacity utilisation is currently sitting at 65%.
Malaysia: Port Klang vessel berthing waiting time at Westports is around 0 to 24 hours. Terminal capacity utilisation is around 72%. Delays at Westports terminal are being incurred
due to vessel bunching and berth congestion. Northport vessels are berthing on arrival with no delays. Terminal capacity utilisation is 65%.
USA
Los Angeles – Long Beach: as of 02 October 2022, there are no container vessels at anchor within the 25-mile zone of the port complex. There are 6 container vessels slow steaming or loitering outside the Safety and Air Quality Area.
The port of Los Angeles dwell time for import cargo is at 3.6 days, down from the peak of 11 days. On-dock rail is at 7.3 days down from the peak of 13.4 days.
Europe
Antwerp: Labour availability continues to remain at a good level after recent disruptions.
Terminal capacity utilisation remains elevated at around 85% for both general and reefer containers.
Rotterdam: Europe Container Terminal (ECT): Labour availability is at a good level which is leading to faster vessel turnaround times. Terminal is currently seeing improvement in long
dwell time for import and transhipment cargo. The ECT off terminal storage facility is still subject to around 3,000 TEU’s of customs blocked Russian cargo within the terminal.
Acceptance of empty containers to the terminal is still very limited.
Rotterdam World Gateway Terminal labour availability is beginning to improve. Export cargo acceptance at the terminal is 8 days in advance of vessel ETA. Terminal is currently not receiving empty containers until further notice in an effect to reduce terminal container capacity utilisation.
To ease Terminal capacity congestion, from 25 July 2022 port authorities will start to remove containers that have been at Rotterdam Terminal for move then 30 days to other inland locations within The Netherlands.
Southampton: The availability of labour is reduced this week causing some vessel berthing delays. Terminal capacity utilisation remains high but manageable. Export cargo acceptance is 10 days in advance of vessel ETA.
London Gateway: The availability of labour remains stable this week. Terminal capacity
utilisation remains good. Terminal productivity is good along with the throughput of vessels
however challenges remain with pilot shortages due to the continued influx of vessel arrivals.
Hamburg: Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) Labour availability is stable after the implementation of the new stevedore agreement. Terminal capacity utilisation remains critical
to high which is above the limit for efficient terminal operations. This continues to be triggered by heavy import container volumes and reduced import container collection from the terminal.
Export cargo acceptance via truck is officially 48 hours in advance of vessel ETA. However, practically it is 24 hours or in some cases less. Split port calls between Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven are being used to ease terminal capacity utilisation.
Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) labour availability has stabilised after the recent
industrial dispute but the availability of labour for weekend shifts remains uncertain. Terminal
capacity utilisation stands at 85%. High terminal capacity utilisation, a backlog of keyside maintenance and labour restraints is leading to lower terminal productivity which in turn is seeing longer port stay time for vessels.
Le Havre: Terminal capacity utilisation remains high. The increased number of vessel arrivals has led to a labour shortage and extended vessel port times. However, labour availability is returning to normal levels.