Ports

Container Shipping Hits Four-Year Reliability Low Amid Asian Port Disruptions

Global container shipping reliability deteriorated to its worst level since September 2022 in August, with on-time performance dropping to 49.9%, according to schedule data. The month-on-month decline of 5.9 percentage points marked the second consecutive monthly fall, driven largely by severe port congestion across Asia. Average vessel delays reached 0.81 days above schedule, the highest since March 2022. This represents a 1.92-day increase compared to the prior year. Among the 13 largest carriers tracked, Maersk led with 67.3% reliability, while Hapag-Lloyd achieved 61%. MSC and CMA CGM both recorded 55.6%, with Wan Hai trailing at 23%. No top carrier improved performance month-on-month, while PIL suffered the steepest decline. Major east-west trade lanes experienced the sharpest deterioration. Asia-North America west coast service fell 8.6% and Asia-North America east coast dropped 9%.