Roughly 5% of the world's deep-sea container capacity — about 1.7 million TEUs — is currently tied up in port-related delays, the worst level since the pandemic. The bottlenecks span Asia, North Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Panama Canal at the same time. Here is where ships are waiting, and what ocean shippers should plan for.

1. The big picture: capacity is at sea, not in service

Sea-Intelligence puts port delays at around 1.7 million TEUs of global container vessel capacity — roughly 5% of the deep-sea fleet. A ship stuck at anchorage is technically part of the fleet, but for an importer waiting for a slot next week, it is simply not available. That is why rates can stay elevated even as new vessels are delivered.

2. Asia: Shanghai, Singapore and the typhoon season

Asia is the epicenter. Mid-August, average vessel waiting times at Shanghai were about 32.3 hours, with peaks of up to 12 days during some periods. Singapore and Port Klang are seeing transshipment congestion as carriers reshuffle around the Red Sea. With typhoon season running through October, Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen remain at risk of sudden schedule disruptions that ripple across every downstream trade lane.

3. North Europe: Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp

Average waiting time at Rotterdam was about 25 hours in mid-August, with knock-on delays at Hamburg and Antwerp. German ports are in labor negotiations that could escalate into walkouts, and Rhine water levels still restrict inland barge loads. For cargo moving by rail or barge into Germany, Switzerland and Austria, build in extra inland time.

4. Middle East and Africa: the surprises

With Red Sea services only partially restored, cargo is being routed through alternative Middle East gateways — and they are groaning. Berthing delays at Khor Fakkan, Fujairah and Sohar are stretching to around 14 days. Further south, Durban's Gateway Terminal is the most worrying story of the month: new terminal systems and workforce retraining have pushed productivity below a third of normal, with delays of about 10 days and carrier warnings of up to 20 days. The South African government has intervened as of 21 August.

5. Panama Canal: slot cuts and surcharges

The Panama Canal Authority is cutting daily transit slots from 38 to 34 on 3 September, and to 32 from 15 September, as El Nino pressures Gatun Lake water levels. Container vessel waits have stretched to around 10 days, and draft restrictions are cutting effective cargo capacity. CMA CGM has announced a Panama Canal Adjustment Factor of USD 500 per TEU for Asia–US East Coast and Gulf cargo from 10 September; other carriers have added USD 130–150 per TEU on overlapping routes. Always check whether the surcharge is included in your quote.

6. What ocean shippers should do now

Plan around the worst case, not the best. Add one to two weeks of buffer to any Asia–US or Asia–Europe booking through September. Split flexible cargo across two sailings to avoid a single point of failure. Confirm in writing whether your quote includes Panama Canal surcharges, war-risk premiums and destination free-time / demurrage terms. For Africa or Middle East destinations, compare direct versus transshipment routings — the bottleneck map changes week by week.

Bottom line

Port congestion in September 2026 is structural, not seasonal. About 1.7 million TEUs of capacity are stuck in queues across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Panama Canal, and that floor under the market is unlikely to ease before late Q4. The winners this quarter will be shippers who plan transit time honestly and lock capacity before they lock rates.