23 Sept 2026
Weather events delay Asian ocean freight, but port operations are recovering
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Typhoons and El Niño conditions have disrupted Asian ocean freight, though port operations are now recovering.
Typhoons hit Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian and Hong Kong at different points in August, leaving around 400,000 TEU awaiting clearance and pushing delays into September. With poor weather expected to continue into October, forwarders anticipate further congestion. Kuehne + Nagel data puts the average vessel waiting time in Shanghai at around 4.7 days, before loading and unloading.