Latest data from Linerlytica shows around 4.3 million TEU of container‑ship capacity is waiting for berthing globally, surpassing the all‑time peak of roughly 4 million TEU recorded during the pandemic in 2022.

This figure of 4.3 million TEU does not refer to 4.3 million physical containers stacked inside ports. Instead, it represents the combined carrying capacity of vessels queuing offshore. A large number of ships are trapped at anchorages, unable to berth, load and unload cargo or proceed to their next voyage as scheduled. Consequently, effective capacity within the global liner network keeps being tied up.

Compared with the pandemic‑era crisis, the current round of congestion stems from more complex causes. Peak‑season cargo shipments, concentrated vessel arrivals, terminal yard saturation, and port omissions and rerouting have compounded one another. Multiple tropical systems sweeping across the Northwest Pacific have acted as a key driver further exacerbating delays. Delays at one port ripple through subsequent ports of call, triggering a domino effect.

What merits greater attention is that present‑day congestion is unevenly distributed, with the worst bottlenecks concentrated in East Asia.

Around 2.2 million TEU of container‑ship capacity is waiting for berthing at East Asian ports, accounting for nearly half of the global congestion volume.

East Asia’s pressure is mainly concentrated in hub ports including Shanghai, Ningbo‑Zhoushan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Qingdao. These ports are grappling with:

• Concentrated vessel arrivals
• Constrained terminal operations
• Over‑stressed yard operations
• Rising cargo volumes from port omissions and rerouting
• Recurrent disruptions caused by typhoons

Successive typhoons have further aggravated the situation. Backlogs from previous disruptions have yet to be cleared, while new rounds of wind and rain may trigger pilotage restrictions, vessel shelter‑from‑weather measures and terminal shutdowns. As a result, vessels cannot berth as scheduled, and laden export containers may fail to enter ports on time due to postponed shipping schedules.

Shanghai Port: Waiting‑for‑berth time at some terminals nears 10 days

Shanghai has emerged as the most prominent congestion hotspot. The number of container vessels waiting offshore for port access has risen to 139, roughly 5.8 times the figure recorded two weeks ago, with anchorage queue volumes hitting a two‑year high.

Ningbo‑Zhoushan Port: 5‑6‑day Berthing Wait, Meishan Terminal Operating at Full Capacity.It is under dual pressure of berth queuing and yard saturation.

At Shenzhen Port, Yantian Terminal has introduced container acceptance limits per vessel call.At Yantian Port, ultra‑large container vessels are facing an average berthing wait of 5 to 6 days, while ships under 330 metres in length experience a waiting time of roughly 3 to 5 days.

Hong Kong Port: Average Berthing Wait Stands at 2‑3 Days.Qingdao Port: Current Berthing Wait of One Day, Building Pressure Ahead.

Port congestion will not disappear out of thin air; more often than not, it merely shifts from one node to another.