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Emma Ma

More than a week after the most powerful typhoon to hit China so far this year made landfall, the ripple effects it sent through the supply chain persist.
Typhoon Dolphin, combined with China’s robust export momentum, has left Shanghai’s two major container hubs, Yangshan deep water port and Waigaoqiao container port, grappling with widespread delays.
“The delays rank among the worst port disruptions seen over the past decade, with the last comparable disruption in 2021, driven by Covid-19‑related restrictions,” said Lan Xi, a senior analyst at Shanghai-based Orient Futures.
“The current congestion stands out both in terms of its duration and scale of impact,” Lan noted.
Container terminals at the two Shanghai hubs were experiencing backlogs as of Tuesday, according to estimates by shipping and cargo brokers.
Some of the worst delays were recorded at the fourth phase of Yangshan port, where pre-berthing waiting time stretched as long as 10 days, with over 30 vessels queuing for spots.
Conditions were equally challenging at Waigaoqiao. One terminal reported a pre-berthing waiting time of 10 days, with around 50 vessels in the queue. Other terminals at Waigaoqiao and Yangshan saw waiting periods of between six and nine days.
“At this time of year, during the peak season, pre-berthing waiting time normally runs two to three days at most, compared with one to two days in the low season. A 10-day wait is a very rare occurrence,” said an agent at Shanghai Ocean Shipping Agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorised to talk to the media.

The CEO of Danish shipping company Maersk, Vincent Clerc, said on the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Thursday that “waiting‑to‑berth times at the port of Shanghai had hit 12 days”.
For cargo shipowners, that means costs are climbing.
A Shanghai-based exporter surnamed Li, who declined to give his full name, has one 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU) stuck at Yangshan.
“Container drop-off charge has doubled to nearly 1,000 yuan (US$148.35) per FEU this week. On top of that, off-terminal storage fees accrue daily, and those are, naturally, eating into my profits,” he said.
Analysts who have closely tracked the developments said the signs of port cargo backlogs first emerged in late June.
“China’s export profile is showing a different trend this year: the shipping peak arrived early in late June, with volume gains seen across multiple trade lanes. Demand tied to events such as the World Cup contributed to the uptick, but export front-loading represents another major driver,” said Lan from Orient Futures.
Additional import tariffs of 10 to 12.5 per cent on select US-bound goods took effect on July 24.
Against this backdrop, US containerised imports hit roughly 2.51 million 20-foot equivalent units in July, marking the fourth-highest reading on record for the month, according to Descartes Systems Group, a Canada-based firm offering global logistics technology solutions.
Typhoons normally strike Shanghai every summer, but this time is different
Shanghai Ocean Shipping Agency agent
Meanwhile, amid export front‑loading and ongoing pre-Christmas shipments, Chinese customs data shows China’s exports rose more than 20 per cent year on year in both June and July.
“In late June, average berth dwell time jumped from 1.5 days to more than two days,” Lan said.
And just as pressure on Shanghai ports was building, extreme weather arrived. In July and August, Typhoons Bavi and Dolphin swept across Shanghai and neighbouring Zhejiang province. Combined, the two storms forced Yangshan deep water port to suspend operations for roughly one week.
“Typhoons normally strike Shanghai every summer, but this time is different,” the agent with Shanghai Ocean Shipping Agency observed.
“The interval between the two typhoons was very short, and the heavy wind and rain disruptions lingered for an extended period, particularly Typhoon Dolphin,” he explained.
“Its ripple effects persisted for a full week after it moved away from Shanghai, which affected terminal operations.”
The agent added that ports were usually able to realign sailing schedules and clear accumulated backlogs following a single typhoon strike. This year, however, that recovery window was compressed.
US-based commodity intelligence firm ChemAnalyst estimated in a Tuesday report that it would take “several weeks rather than days” to clear the backlog.
“With extreme weather events becoming the new normal, how Shanghai International Port Group and local authorities can strike a balance between operational safety and throughput efficiency is the key question lying ahead,” said Lan of Orient Futures.


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The extreme weather arrives during a prolonged pre-Christmas peak shipping season for the port


The extreme weather arrives during a prolonged pre-Christmas peak shipping season for the port.


Shanghai Port sees Christmas shipment delays as twin typhoons create up to 10-day backlog

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The extreme weather arrives during a prolonged pre-Christmas peak shipping season for the port

The extreme weather arrives during a prolonged pre-Christmas peak shipping season for the port