Global container shipping reliability fell to 27 percent in September, its fourth consecutive monthly decline, while average vessel delays reached six days, according to Xeneta.
The on-time arrival rate dropped two percentage points from August, matching February’s low. Average delays across all arrivals have increased for four consecutive months, rising by 2.4 days since the start of the second quarter.
Xeneta linked continued deterioration on Asian trades to successive typhoons between July and early September, with disruption extending beyond the affected ports.
Far East to Europe reliability fell to 4 percent, with average delays of 9,9 days across all vessels.
This was the trade’s weakest performance since September 2021, when 3 percent of arrivals were on time.
Far East to North America remained at 20 percent on time, although average delays increased by 0.8 days to 6.9 days.
Europe to North America recorded the highest reliability for a second consecutive month.
Its on-time rate rose eight percentage points to 49 percent, the highest since August 2025, while average delays of 1.9 days were the lowest among the trades covered.
South America’s West Coast and East Coast trades were the only ones to improve both reliability measures, gaining 10 and 12 percentage points respectively in on-time arrivals and reducing average delays by up to one day.
Every carrier covered recorded its highest average delay in 12 months.
Maersk’s on-time rate fell from 51 to 47 percent, while Yang Ming’s declined to 4 percent, narrowing the gap between the strongest and weakest performers to 43 percentage points.
Gemini network reliability fell from 70 percent in June to 40 per cent in September.
Both partners recorded monthly declines for a fifth consecutive month.
At ports, Singapore’s average daily vessel queue increased from 12 to 22, while waiting times rose from 1.9 to 3.1 days as congestion at Chinese ports affected the transhipment hub.
Across Southeast Asia, average waits reached two days, with 23 percent of vessels waiting.
Africa remained the most congested region despite average waits falling by almost one day to 2.5 days.
Shanghai’s average daily anchorage queue shortened from 101 to 86 vessels, but waiting times increased from 1.9 to 2.7 days.
Carriers cancelled 6 percent of planned Far East to Europe capacity in September and 8 percent on Far East to North America, the third-lowest shares in 21 months for both trades.
MSC Restructures Ipanema Service Slot-Sharing Agreement
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has issued a formal notice announcing the restructuring of its Ipanema service, which has to date been operated jointly by MSC, ONE, and Hapag- Lloyd under a slot-sharing agreement.
Under the revised arrangement, Hapag-Lloyd will withdraw from the partnership, with the service transitioning to a bilateral cooperation between MSC and ONE.
The first sailing under the new agreement is scheduled to depart Shanghai on 3 April 2027.
MSC will deploy additional capacity on the service, reinforcing its commitment to delivering fast, reliable connectivity between multiple origin ports across Asia and the East Coast of South America.
The Ipanema service will continue to call at Santos, Paranagua, and Navegantes – the principal gateway ports of southern Brazil – alongside Montevideo and Buenos Aires, the key hubs of the Rio de la Plata basin.
This port coverage positions the service to offer shippers competitive transit times and broad market reach across the region.
The rotation for the Ipanema service is as follows: Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Hong Kong -Singapore – Santos – Paranagua – Navegantes – Montevideo – Buenos Aires – Rio Grande – Paranagua – Navegantes – Santos –Singapore – Hong Kong – Shanghai.
Shippers and freight forwarders with cargo on the Ipanema service are advised to monitor operational notices issued by both MSC and ONE closely, and to confirm booking channels, freight rates, and space allocation arrangements in a timely manner.
Customers who have previously booked through Hapag-Lloyd should engage with Hapag- Lloyd or their relevant agents at the earliest opportunity to clarify transition arrangements and assess the viability of transferring shipments to MSC or ONE.
It should be noted that the inaugural sailing under the new cooperation commences on 3 April 2027, and schedule adjustments prior to that date remain possible.
All parties are encouraged to verify vessel schedules and port rotation changes directly with the carriers in advance.
DP World Expands Crane Capacity at London Gateway and Southampton
DP World, operator of two of Britain’s busiest container terminals, is boosting container-handling capacity at London Gateway and Southampton with the arrival of a new generation of quay cranes designed to serve the world’s largest vessels.
Two cranes have arrived fully assembled at London Gateway after a sea journey from Shanghai.
Each stands nearly 150 metres high and weighs more than 2,000 tonnes.
The cranes will be installed at the new all-electric Berth 5, currently under construction as part of DP World’s GBP1 billion expansion of the Thames-side terminal.
The berth is scheduled to become operational in 2027.
Two more cranes are expected to arrive at Southampton next week.
They follow the delivery of two crates to the terminal and London Gateway in June, bringing the total number serving Southampton to 16.
The four cranes delivered to Southampton during 2026 represent an investment of GBP60 million.
The new equipment can perform consecutive tandem lifts, handling two 40-foot containers simultaneously, and is designed to serve container ships with capacities of around 24,000 TEU.
For cargo owners and the logistics partners who move their freight, greater lift productivity and berths built for ultra-large vessels translate into faster vessel turnaround, more reliable transit schedules, and steadier capacity through seasonal demand peaks – all factors that help protect goods in transit and keep delivery commitments on track.
Another two cranes are scheduled to be delivered to London Gateway’s Berth 5 in the coming months.
“At both of our fantastic UK port operations at Southampton and London Gateway we are increasing capacity, improving efficiency for our customers and ensuring two of Britain’s most important gateways to global trade are equipped for the future,” said Kris Adams, CEO UK Ports & Terminals, DP World.
The London Gateway expansion includes two new all-electric berths, increasing the total number of operational berths to six, alongside a second rail terminal.
The additional rail capacity offers importers and freight forwarders expanded options for moving containers inland, supporting cost-efficient, lower-emission routing beyond the quayside.
The investment builds on a year of record throughput.
DP World said its London Gateway and Southampton terminals together handled more than 5 million TEU in 2025.
London Gateway alone handled a record 3 million TEU, a 50% increase on the previous year.
The company said the two terminals now account for 46% of the UK’s containerised trade.
Port of Melbourne container trade rises 13.1 percent in August
The Port of Melbourne handled 323,000 TEUS of container trade in August 2026, up 13.1 percent, or 38,000 TEUs, on August 2025, according to the port’s latest monthly trade update.
The increase marks a stronger second month of FY27, following the 1.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) decline recorded in July.
Full imports, excluding Bass Strait cargo, reached 129,000 TEUs, up 11.2 percent, or 13,000 TEUs, year-on-year.
Full exports excluding Bass Strait totalled 63,000 TEUs, rising 12.9 percent, or 7,000 TEUS, compared with August 2025.
Full transhipment cargo excluding Bass Strait recorded the strongest percentage growth among the main container categories, climbing 56.1 percent, or 8,000 TEUS, to 23,000 TEUS.
Full Bass Strait volumes increased 3.5 percent, or 1,000 TEUS, to 28,000 TEUs, while empty container movements rose 11.3 percent, or 8,000 TEUS, to 81,000 TEUS.
After the first two months of FY27, the port has handled 608,000 TEUs of container trade, up 5.7 percent, or 33,000 TEUS, on the same period last year.
Full imports reached 239,000 TEUs, up 4.9 percent, while exports increased 1.8 percent to 120,000 TEUS.
Transhipment cargo continued to outperform other categories, rising 50.5 percent year-on- year to 45,000 TEUs.
Bass Strait volumes increased 3.9 percent to 59,000 TEUs, while empty container movements grew 1.6 percent to 146,000 TEUs.
The port’s non-container trade also recorded growth in August, reaching 2.31 million revenue tonnes, up 13.1 percent, or 267,000 revenue tonnes, on the same month last year.
Motor vehicle volumes rose 33.9 percent, or 214,000 revenue tonnes, to 847,000 revenue tonnes.
Dry bulk cargo increased 56.7 percent, or 209,000 revenue tonnes, to 577,000 revenue tonnes, while break bulk rose 37.1 percent, or 24,000 revenue tonnes, to 89,000 revenue tonnes.
Liquid bulk volumes fell 26.3 percent, or 164,000 revenue tonnes, to 460,000 revenue tonnes.
The other cargo category declined 4.7 percent, or 16,000 revenue tonnes, to 335,000 revenue tonnes.
Across the first two months of FY27, non-container trade totalled 4.41 million revenue tonnes, up 8.2 percent, or 335,000 revenue tonnes, year-on-year.
Motor vehicles and dry bulk were the main contributors to growth, increasing 34.1 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively.
Global Air Cargo Tonnage Falls as Rates Rise Ahead of China Golden Week
Global air freight tonnage fell 4% week-on-week in the latest reporting period, while average rates continued to rise, according to WorldACD Market Data.
Capacity held steady over the same period.
Volumes and pricing are moving in opposite directions, and the trend is most visible on Asia Pacific and Middle East and South Asia (MESA) routes to Europe.
Chargeable weight fell from every origin region except Africa.
Asia Pacific recorded the sharpest weekly drop at 7%. Europe and Central and South America (CSA) each fell 1%.
Public holidays in key Asian markets contributed to the weaker figures.
Japan observed Autumnal Equinox Day on 23 September, China marked the Mid-Autumn Festival on 25 September.
Both holidays reduced outbound volumes from the region.
Despite the weekly decline, global chargeable weight remained 5% higher than in the same week last year.
Africa recorded the strongest year-on-year growth at 9%.
Asia Pacific and Europe each rose 6%. MESA volumes were 1% higher than a year earlier, even revenue with continued disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Asia Pacific tonnage to the US fell 2% week on week.
Volumes to Europe fell 8%.
European-bound traffic declined from most major Asian origins.
Japan recorded the steepest fall, with chargeable weight down 40%.
Volumes from Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand fell by between 10% and 14%.
Hong Kong was unchanged.
Malaysia rose 20% after an 18% fall the previous week, which was linked to Malaysia Day.
US-bound traffic held up better.
Tonnage from Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore rose by between 6% and 12%. This growth partly reflects continued demand from artificial intelligence-related supply chains.
Volumes from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand declined.
The year-on-year comparison shows the same split.
Asia Pacific tonnage to the US was 14% higher than a year earlier, with growth from every major origin except Japan.
Volumes to Europe were 8% lower, and Indonesia was the only origin to post growth.
The two-week view tells a similar story.
Compared with the previous fortnight, Asia Pacific and MESA declined across most major outbound markets.
The exception was Asia Pacific-to-North America traffic, which increased.
Outbound flows from Europe and North America rose across all major sectors.
Port of Los Angeles Sets All-Time Record for Monthly Container Volume
In September 2026, the Port of Los Angeles processed 1.04 million TEUs, establishing a new all-time record and marking the highest single-month container throughput ever recorded at any port in the Western Hemisphere.
Through the first nine months of the year, the port has accumulated a cumulative volume of 8.1 million TEUS.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka noted that September’s exceptional performance is emblematic of a sustained period of elevated throughput.
Consumer demand has remained resilient, importers are actively replenishing inventories, and shippers are increasingly redirecting cargo to Los Angeles as other global trade lanes continue to face operational headwinds.
The third quarter of 2026 stands as the strongest quarter in the port’s history, with single-quarter volume approaching 3 million TEUS.
When June is included in the calculation, the port processed nearly 4 million TEUS across a four-month span – a figure that underscores the scale and consistency of its recent performance.
Import volumes have served as the primary engine behind these results.
In September, the Port of Los Angeles recorded 546,000 TEUS in inbound cargo – a 19 percent increase year-over-year and 26 percent above the five-year average for the same period.
Export performance, by contrast, remains comparatively subdued.
Seroka attributed much of the import surge to shippers front-loading cargo to capitalise on a lower-tariff window, with the pace of shipments further accelerated by market concerns surrounding a U.S.-China trade agreement that was originally set to expire in the autumn of 2026 – and has since been extended.
Sustained growth in the U.S. economy and continued strength in consumer purchasing power have further reinforced demand across import channels.
Broader global disruptions have also contributed to the port’s competitive positioning.
Ongoing instability in the Middle East and drought-related draft restrictions at the Panama Canal have constrained alternative shipping routes, prompting shippers to redirect an increasing share of their cargo flows through Los Angeles.
These structural shifts in global supply chain routing are not incidental to the port’s record-breaking performance – they reflect a strategic realignment toward one of the world’s most capable and well-positioned gateways.