Forwarders have warned that ship congestion at Shanghai Port could last until mid-May, 2017, according to JOC.
The severe congestion has been caused by dense fog, higher-than-usual volumes and the aftermath of a shake-up in shipping alliances.
Software provider CargoSmart has reported that the average waiting time at berth in mid-April went up 6.2% to 18.2 hours when compared to times recorded at the start of the month.
Average delays for ships arriving at the port also jumped more than 42% to 53 hours between April 16 and 18 when compared to the week before.
A statement by German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd to its customers said: “The port of Shanghai is currently undergoing a period of high congestion due to increased throughput volume and Carriers’ Alliances’ product restructuring.
“The Shanghai Port has announced that they are taking necessary actions to ensure port operations return to normal as soon as possible.”
The alliance reshuffle adding to the congestion comes at a bad time as services provided by container shipping lines recently received poor reviews in a survey of exporters conducted jointly by the European Shippers' Council and Drewry.
