Industry Odisha Bureau, Sep 12: A rapidly strengthening El Niño is driving an unusually intense typhoon season. Asian ports, especially Shanghai, are facing severe congestion. Chinese port waiting times have reached 3.38 days.
An unusually active typhoon season is disrupting shipping across Asia. Shanghai has been particularly hard hit by vessel congestion. Chinese ports are recording their longest waiting times this year. A rapidly strengthening El Niño is fuelling the disruption.
Shanghai Port Congestion Deepens
Shanghai is the world’s busiest container port. It has become a key congestion point this year. Schedule reliability weakened sharply during July. Barely one-fifth of container ships arrived on time. Singapore-based Sea-Intelligence supplied that analysis. Disruption at such a major hub carries wider implications. It can affect shipping schedules well beyond China.
Chinese Port Waiting Times Reach 3.38 Days
Average waiting times at Chinese ports rose to 3.38 days per vessel. Market intelligence firm Kpler reported this figure. It marks the longest average wait this year. That average masks far longer individual delays. Bulk carrier owner Precious Shipping reported waits of 10 to 20 days. Managing director Khalid Hashim linked those delays to severe weather. He described China as normally the world’s most efficient dry-bulk hub.
August Records 12 Tropical Cyclones
August saw 12 tropical cyclones form across two key regions. These were the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea. The Hong Kong Observatory called it the highest monthly total since 1961. The figure reflects storm frequency, not necessarily intensity. Even so, it signals unusually persistent weather disruption.
Freight Rates Feel Typhoon Pressure
Frequent cyclones also disrupted coastal bulk shipping last month. China’s Ministry of Transport reported temporary freight-rate increases. Affected commodities included iron ore, coal and grains. Weather delays can briefly tighten vessel availability. The ministry described the rate rises as short-lived.
El Niño Reshapes Shipping Risks
A rapidly strengthening El Niño is fuelling East Asia’s typhoon activity. Forecaster Tropical Storm Risk expects an exceptionally intense season. El Niño shifts atmospheric and ocean conditions across the Pacific. Storms can then form farther east than usual. That gives them more time over warm waters. Longer exposure can support additional intensification before landfall.
Storm tracks may also curve toward new regions. Todd Lanouette of StormGeo cited Japan, South Korea and central China. These areas sit near vital Asia-North America sea lanes. Repeated storms can complicate vessel scheduling and berth availability.
Separately, A.P. Moller-Maersk warned of weaker on-time arrivals. It linked this directly to recent severe typhoons.
Asia’s maritime network faces unusually persistent weather disruption this season. El Niño is driving typhoons, congestion and shipping delays. Freight pressure on bulk commodities has followed. How the rest of the season unfolds remains uncertain. Much depends on whether cyclone activity eases in coming months.
