Ports

West African Port Congestion Intensifies as Trade Volume Surges

Rapid cargo growth across West Africa is overwhelming ports, with volumes in Ghana, Guinea, and Sierra Leone already approaching full-year 2025 totals. Ghana's Tema port and facilities in Sierra Leone face mounting delays that hamper operations and raise costs for shippers. CMA CGM implemented a $400-per-teu congestion surcharge on refrigerated containers bound for Tema, effectively doubling the cost for 40-foot reefer units. Hapag-Lloyd added a $250 reefer surcharge on the same route, warning customers to prepare for 10-day discharge delays. While Portcast claims Tema's average wait times may be improving and have fallen below four days, Conakry and Freetown present greater concerns. Congestion delays exceed 10 days at both facilities. Freetown experienced particularly sharp deterioration, with waits increasing four days week-over-week. Forwarders operating on West African trades report the congestion is severely restricting port functionality and threatening perishable cargo deliveries.