Global port congestion is approaching 4 million TEUs as strong container demand, weather disruption and tight vessel capacity continue to pressure major trade lanes, according to DHL Global Forwarding’s latest Ocean Freight Market Update. The logistics giant said the global container market remains tight, with the Transpacific peak season continuing longer than expected while congestion limits effective shipping capacity across key gateways. DHL noted that the Asia–North America peak season began earlier than usual this year and has extended well beyond initial projections, keeping vessel utilisation on eastbound services close to full capacity.
The prolonged demand is being driven by inventory building ahead of the holiday shopping season and China’s upcoming Golden Week, with global container volumes up around 5% year to date. Meanwhile, demand on the Far East–Europe corridor has begun to moderate following its summer peak, though congestion at major hubs continues to restrict effective capacity even as headline volumes ease. The persistent bottlenecks mark a continuation of a broader congestion crisis that saw stranded container capacity worldwide surpass the pandemic-era record of 4 million TEUs earlier this year, driven largely by repeated typhoon disruptions at Chinese ports and tightening Panama Canal transit slots.
Source: Container News — https://container-news.com/global-port-congestion-approaches-4-million-teus-as-peak-season-extends/
Tags: Port Congestion, Transpacific Trade, DHL, Container Shipping
