Port Congestion Ties Up About 12% of Global Container Capacity at Four-Year High

A report titled "EDGE" by C.H. Robinson estimated that about 12% of global container ship capacity is currently tied up due to port congestion, reaching its highest level in four years, according to gCaptain.

The report noted that East Asia, Northern Europe, and the Indian Subcontinent are among the most affected regions, highlighting the Port of Colombo as a disrupted transshipment hub.

The report pointed to capacity cuts on transpacific trade lanes linked to China's "Golden Week" holiday between October 1 and 7, a period during which commercial activity contracts. Logistics News Philippines reported that it independently published the same figure, citing price disparities between the Canada-Europe and Asia-Europe routes.

Queueing ships withdraws a portion of available capacity from the market, driving up freight costs and delaying delivery schedules. Operators are monitoring the impact of this congestion on their networks, as accumulated delays at a single port quickly spread across the entire liner network. Conversely, reduced activity on transpacific routes during the Golden Week holiday offers temporary relief at some terminals, though its effect remains limited amid ongoing bottlenecks.

What do these terms mean?

Capacity: The total space available to transport containers aboard the vessel fleet. Port congestion: The accumulation of ships waiting to unload or load due to slow traffic within the port. Golden Week: A week-long official holiday in China during which many factories and commercial activities pause. Transshipment: Offloading containers at an intermediate port and transferring them onto other ships to reach their final destination. Transpacific trade lanes: Maritime routes connecting Asia with the coasts of North America.