China port waits hit 10 days, transpac rates spike again
The bottom line
Vessel waiting time at Shanghai and Ningbo hit 10 days this week, with ships facing two weeks of departure delays. The congestion stems from seven typhoons hitting China since July plus rerouting from the Strait of Hormuz closure, and it will worsen through October as peak exports stack up. If your container is booked for a September sailing from these ports, assume it leaves in October.
Shanghai and Ningbo vessel waits reach 10 days as congestion worsens
The short version
Vessel waiting time at Shanghai and Ningbo reached 10 days this week, with ships expecting one to two weeks of departure delays.
What happened
Vessel waiting time at Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian and Nansha reached up to 10 days this week, according to ICIS data. Ships are expecting one to two weeks of departure delays at several ports. Vessels waiting for berth at Shanghai and Ningbo stood at around 135 and 100 respectively at 05:00 GMT on 5 September, up from 107 and 78 on 29 August.
Seven typhoons made landfall in China between July and early September. Ports curb operations around three days ahead of forecast arrivals and need several days for cleanup after storms pass. Strait of Hormuz traffic limitations have prompted rerouting toward the Cape of Good Hope. Linerlytica said on 25 August that more than 4.3 million TEU, or 12.6% of global fleet capacity, is waiting to berth at container ports globally.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
Why it matters to you
If you have a container booked to load at Shanghai or Ningbo in September, it will probably sail in October. The two-week departure delay is not an estimate, it is what ports are telling forwarders now.
Port congestion leads carriers to skip scheduled calls, which moves your container to the next sailing and adds another week. Then that sailing faces the same congestion. Zhejiang, Shanghai and Guangdong are major export terminals for finished goods, so this hits consumer products, electronics and automotive components hardest.
September and October are peak export months from China. Demand is stacking up behind the typhoon delays, and the next storm is forecast to arrive later on 5 September. If you are counting on a late September arrival to meet October in-stock dates, you are already too late.
The hot take
The typhoon season runs through September, so expect at least two more disruption cycles before October. Carriers will blank more sailings to protect schedule integrity, which means your backup plan needs a backup plan. I would not book Shanghai or Ningbo for anything that matters in Q4 unless I had three weeks of slack in the timeline.
What to do about it
- Pull forward any September bookings to the earliest available sailing and accept the higher rate
- Contact your forwarder today to confirm vessel departure, not just the booking confirmation date
- Add two weeks to every transit estimate for Shanghai and Ningbo departures through end of September
Transpacific rates rise 5% to $7,185 as late peak demand hits
The short version
Shanghai to Los Angeles spot rates rose 5% this week to $7,185 per 40ft, while Shanghai to New York climbed 3% to $9,587.
What happened
Container spot freight rates on the transpacific surged this week. Drewry’s World Container Index showed Shanghai to New York up 3% week on week to $9,587 per 40ft, almost triple the $3,677 rate this time last year. Shanghai to Los Angeles rose 5% to $7,185 per 40ft.
General rate increases on 1 September partially stuck and led to $300 to $500 price increases this week, according to US west coast forwarder Freight Right. Consumer and commercial demand remained strong, with volumes rising 9% week on week to the US west coast and 3% to the east coast. Six blanked sailings have been announced on the transpacific for the week beginning 9 September, twice as many as the previous week.
Source: The Loadstar
Why it matters to you
You are paying $7,185 to move a 40ft container from Shanghai to Los Angeles, triple what you paid this time last year. The rate is not falling because the ex-Asia shipping window to get goods on US shelves for the holiday shopping season closes at the end of September.
Carriers are blanking sailings to keep capacity tight, and demand is rising as sellers scramble to meet holiday deadlines. The $300 to $500 GRI that stuck this week will be followed by another attempt in mid-September. If your margin was built on a $5,000 transpacific rate, you just lost 40% of it.
The Shanghai port congestion makes this worse. You are paying peak rates for a container that may not sail for two weeks. That means you pay both the rate premium and the delay penalty.
The hot take
Carriers have no reason to drop rates until November. Demand is strong, capacity is tight, and the peak window is closing. If you are still ordering stock for Q4 delivery, you are paying whatever rate the carrier quotes, because you have no leverage and no time.
What to do about it
- Lock in space now for any remaining Q4 shipments, even at current rates
- Revise your Q4 margin assumptions to reflect $7,000+ west coast rates
- Consider air freight for high-margin SKUs if ocean transit plus congestion delay exceeds four weeks
Europe rates fall to $3,500 as demand drops and carriers discount
The short version
Shanghai to Rotterdam spot rates fell 5% this week to $4,092 per 40ft, with September quotes already below $3,500.
What happened
Container spot rates on Asia to Europe trades continued to decline. Drewry’s World Container Index showed Shanghai to Rotterdam down 5% this week to $4,092 per 40ft, while Shanghai to Genoa fell 10% to $4,368 per 40ft.
A European freight forwarder told The Loadstar on 4 September that September rate quotes were already below the WCI level, with little prospect of reversing. Demand levels have dropped off, with no issues on bookings or allocations. According to Linerlytica, Gemini partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are offering rates of $3,500 to $3,800 per 40ft for vessel departures in the first two weeks of September.
Source: The Loadstar
Why it matters to you
You can move a container from Shanghai to Rotterdam for $3,500 right now, less than half what you pay to Los Angeles. The Europe lane has collapsed because demand dropped after the summer peak and carriers are fighting for volume.
If you sell into both the US and Europe, your margin structure just inverted. The same product costs you twice as much to land in California as it does in the Netherlands. That changes where you hold stock, how you price, and whether you route US-bound goods through a European consolidation point.
The discount will widen. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are undercutting rivals to fill ships, and the rest will follow. By late September, expect quotes below $3,000 on some lanes.
The hot take
The transpacific and Europe lanes have never been this far apart in peak season. Carriers are stuck because they cannot pull enough capacity out of Europe without breaking service strings. I would move every Europe shipment I could to ocean and bank the margin difference while it lasts.
What to do about it
- Request September quotes for Europe lanes today and lock in anything under $3,500
- Shift air freight to ocean for Europe-bound goods with lead time flexibility
- Model landed cost scenarios for US goods routed through European consolidation, then onward by truck or short-sea
Tropical cyclones force three more Asia-Pacific port omissions
The short version
Five tropical cyclones hit China in recent months, causing Neptune Pacific to omit Shanghai, Ningbo and Kaohsiung on three September sailings.
What happened
Neptune Pacific warned of continued disruptions after five tropical cyclones affected ports and vessel schedules across China and wider Asia. The carrier said cyclones Maysak, Bavi, Noul, Dolphin and Saudel have contributed to periodic port closures and schedule delays.
OOCL Busan voyage 0707S will omit Shanghai and Kaohsiung, while SC Montreux voyage 0478S will skip Ningbo. Kota Lestari voyage 0286S will omit Shanghai. Neptune Pacific warned that the changes will add to an existing cargo backlog. New ASIAPAC bookings will be allocated to the earliest available vessel voyage, subject to available space.
Source: Container News
Why it matters to you
Port omissions cascade through your supply chain. Your container misses the scheduled vessel, gets rolled to the next sailing, and arrives two to three weeks late. If you are shipping to Australia, New Zealand or Pacific islands through a Chinese gateway, you now face both the port congestion and the risk that your port gets skipped entirely.
Carriers omit ports to recover schedule integrity, which means the problem spreads. Neptune Pacific said new bookings will be allocated to the earliest available vessel subject to space, which means you have no guarantee your container sails when booked.
The cargo backlog Neptune Pacific mentions is real. Containers that missed sailings in July are still working through the system. If you have September bookings on Asia-Pacific lanes, assume at least one port omission and one rolled sailing.
The hot take
The Asia-Pacific lanes are a mess and will stay that way through September. If you are shipping to smaller markets like New Zealand or Fiji, you have limited carrier options and no leverage. I would move any urgent shipments to direct transpacific or Europe lanes, then truck or short-sea to the final destination.
What to do about it
- Contact Neptune Pacific or your forwarder to confirm whether your booked port is on the current rotation
- Add three weeks to any Asia-Pacific transit estimate for September and October sailings
- Consider routing urgent Asia-Pacific cargo through Sydney or Auckland on a major carrier, then final leg by coastal feeder
Content hooks
Angles from today’s stories, ready to turn into a post, a video or a note to your list. Take them. That is what they are for.
- 01 Vessel waiting time at Shanghai hit 10 days this week and your September booking will sail in October
- 02 Seven typhoons since July have stacked port delays on top of Strait of Hormuz rerouting and peak export volume
- 03 Transpacific rates rose another 5% to $7,185 while Europe fell to $3,500, the widest peak season gap on record
- 04 Carriers are blanking twice as many transpacific sailings next week to keep rates stable through September
- 05 Shanghai and Ningbo handle the bulk of China exports and both are facing two-week departure delays right now
- 06 Europe demand collapsed after summer peak so Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are discounting to $3,500 per 40ft
- 07 Port omissions cascade through the supply chain because the next port hits the same congestion that caused the skip
- 08 The ex-Asia shipping window for US holiday goods closes end of September so carriers have no reason to drop rates
- 09 If your margin was built on $5,000 transpacific rates you just lost 40% of it and the GRIs keep coming
- 10 Neptune Pacific omitted Shanghai on three September sailings and warned of cargo backlog stretching back to July
- 11 You can move a container to Rotterdam for half what you pay to Los Angeles, which changes where you hold stock
- 12 Typhoon season runs through September so expect two more disruption cycles before things stabilise in October
Questions people are asking
- How long are vessel wait times at Shanghai and Ningbo right now?
- Vessel waiting time at Shanghai and Ningbo reached 10 days as of 5 September 2026, with ships expecting one to two weeks of departure delays. Around 135 vessels were waiting at Shanghai and 100 at Ningbo, up from 107 and 78 on 29 August. Seven typhoons hit China since July, with ports curbing operations three days ahead of arrivals and needing several more days for cleanup, giving no time to clear backlogs between storms.
- What are current ocean freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles?
- Shanghai to Los Angeles spot rates stand at $7,185 per 40ft container as of the week ending 5 September 2026, up 5% from the previous week and nearly triple last year’s rate. Shanghai to New York is $9,587 per 40ft, up 3%. General rate increases on 1 September added $300 to $500 per container. Rates are expected to remain stable or rise through end of September as the ex-Asia shipping window closes.
- Are ocean freight rates to Europe cheaper than to the US?
- Yes. Shanghai to Rotterdam spot rates fell to $4,092 per 40ft this week, with September quotes below $3,500 from some carriers. This compares to $7,185 for Shanghai to Los Angeles, meaning Europe rates are less than half US west coast rates. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are offering $3,500 to $3,800 per 40ft for early September Europe departures. The gap exists because Europe demand dropped while transpacific demand remains strong.
- Will typhoons continue disrupting China ports in September?
- Yes. Typhoon season runs through September, with a new storm forecast to arrive 5 September 2026. Seven typhoons made landfall between July and early September. Ports typically curb operations three days before forecast arrivals and need several days for cleanup. September and October are peak export months, so demand is stacking up behind delays. Expect at least two more disruption cycles before conditions stabilise in October.
- What should I do if my September China shipment is delayed?
- Contact your forwarder immediately to confirm vessel departure date, not just the booking confirmation. Add two weeks to transit estimates for Shanghai and Ningbo departures through end of September. Pull forward remaining September bookings to the earliest available sailing, even at higher rates. For urgent, high-margin cargo, consider air freight. For Europe-bound goods, request quotes below $3,500. Assume at least one port omission or rolled sailing and revise in-stock dates accordingly.
The bottom line
The bottom line
Vessel waiting time at Shanghai and Ningbo hit 10 days this week, with ships facing two weeks of departure delays. The congestion stems from seven typhoons hitting China since July plus rerouting from the Strait of Hormuz closure, and it will worsen through October as peak exports stack up. If your container is booked for a September sailing from these ports, assume it leaves in October.