At the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2026, due to the combined effects of multiple factors such as tightened customs inspections, concentrated release of cargo volume, and holiday effects, many core container ports in Asia fell into severe congestion. Among them, the four major hub ports of China's Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port, the Philippines' Manila Port, and Indonesia's Semarang Port performed outstandingly. The berthing time of ships was significantly extended, the yard load was close to saturation, and some ports even faced the risk of operational interruption, which brought a phased impact to the global supply chain and foreign trade industry.
As the core gateway of China's foreign trade, Shanghai Port has been experiencing severe congestion recently. Data show that the current seven-day average waiting time for ships in the port remains at a high of 2.13 days. Among them, the congestion at the Waigaoqiao Wharf berth within the scope of customs supervision in Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port Area is the most significant, with the average waiting time for ships being about 2 days as the core berthing terminal for fast shipping lines such as Matson and CMA CGM EXX, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port Area Customs has recently significantly increased its inspection efforts, with the U.S. shipping inspection rate soaring to 50%. As of January 15, the backlog of containers in the port area exceeded 4,000, and the average delay for a single container exceeded 20 days. Some goods were delayed for 2-3 consecutive shipping schedules, setting a record for the highest delay since the epidemic in 2020. However, the overall operating pressure in the Yangshan Port Area is still very heavy. Although the congestion in the first and second phases has been alleviated, the terminal booking system is almost at full capacity. Sudden factors such as road congestion on the main sections leading to the port have also further escalated the operational pressure of the already busy port. In particular, it is important to mention that the container throughput of Shanghai Port will reach more than 55 million TEUs in 2025, a record high. The continued surge in cargo volume has also become an important driver of congestion.
As a neighbor of Shanghai Port, Ningbo Port has even more congestion. The seven-day average waiting time for ships at the port reaches 2.5 days. Among them, Meishan International Container Terminal and Chuanshan Container Terminal have the most prominent congestion, with waiting times for ships exceeding 3 days. At present, the storage density of Meishan International Container Terminal has exceeded 90% and is in a highly saturated state, which seriously restricts container loading and unloading and ship turnover efficiency. It is understood that although the recent inspection rate of Ningbo Port has remained around 10%, it is still 3-5 percentage points higher than the same period last year. Coupled with the pressure of more than 10% year-on-year growth in container throughput in the first seven days of January, the port's operating load continues to rise. In order to alleviate congestion, the Ningbo Beilun Port Comprehensive Bonded Zone has activated the "tidal lane" at the bayonet, increasing traffic efficiency by about 80% during peak periods, but the overall congestion situation has not been fundamentally alleviated.
Core ports in Southeast Asia have not been spared either. Congestion at the Port of Manila in the Philippines has reached a phased peak. The seven-day average waiting time for ships at the port is 2.17 days. The waiting time for ships at Manila North Port and South Port generally exceeds 3 days. The utilization rate of the two terminals continues to remain at a high level of 85%-90%, and there is a serious shortage of operating space. There is a reason for such congestion. In mid-January, Tropical Storm Ada hit Luzon Island in the Philippines, causing ports around Manila to suspend navigation for three days, forcing a large number of ships to wait at anchorages. Then, on January 9, a large-scale parade in Manila's core urban area completely blocked the main road, and container vehicles were unable to enter and exit the terminal, which made the situation of stranded goods worse. Coupled with factors such as a surge in cargo volume and low customs clearance efficiency, the port congestion situation has not improved.
Indonesia's Semarang Port is the port most affected by this congestion and is already facing the risk of operational disruption. The average waiting time for ships in the port has exceeded 6 days. Some ships have been waiting to berth since January 17. Its core Tanjung Emmaus Container Terminal yard is operating at close to full capacity and currently no longer accepts advance stacking of containers. Feeder ships have been extensively delayed. In addition, due to factors such as local road congestion and flooding, the efficiency of cargo pickup has dropped significantly. The pressure on terminal operations caused by the surge in cargo volume, coupled with problems such as insufficient infrastructure carrying capacity, has put the operation of Semarang Port in trouble.
Industry analysts believe that the concentrated congestion in many ports in Asia is the result of multiple factors. From the core reasons, the increase in national customs inspections is an important driver. Recently, illegal goods have been seized at ports in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Ningbo, and other places, which has led to the expansion of the scope of manual inspections. The problem of low efficiency has been further amplified during the period of concentrated cargo volume. Secondly, the pick-up in foreign trade at the end of the year and the beginning of the year, the rush for goods during the Spring Festival, and the continued growth of throughput of core ports such as Shanghai Port, have caused the concentrated release of cargo volume to exceed the port's operating capacity. In addition, factors such as extreme weather, urban traffic control, and insufficient port infrastructure have further aggravated the congestion situation.
The global supply chain has also had a chain reaction when ports are congested. Ship delays and stranded goods have led to a significant increase in logistics costs. Foreign trade companies face the risk of order defaults, and shipping companies need to adjust route layouts to avoid congestion. Industry insiders mentioned that foreign trade companies should reserve a logistics buffer period of 7-10 days in advance, pay close attention to port dynamics, adjust and optimize shipping plans; at the same time, they must strengthen document review to ensure compliance with customs declaration information and reduce the risk of inspection delays. Currently, congested ports have gradually taken measures such as adding new storage yards, optimizing operating procedures, and activating emergency facilities to alleviate pressure. However, as the Spring Festival approaches, the rush for goods will continue. It is expected that the congestion situation will be difficult to fundamentally improve in the short term, and the global supply chain will face continued timeliness tests.
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