World ocean container schedule reliability fell for a fourth consecutive month in September, dropping 2 share factors to 27% on-time, in keeping with Xeneta’s September Schedule Reliability Scorecard.
Common vessel delay rose to six days throughout all arrivals, up 2.4 days because the begin of the second quarter.
The analyst stated the deterioration displays the cumulative results of highly effective typhoons that struck Asia from July by way of early September, mixed with bunker-cost strain and powerful peak-season demand. It doesn’t count on a agency flooring in October as Asian commerce disruption continues.
Asia trades deteriorate
Asia-linked companies recorded a few of the worst efficiency, with the Far East-to-Europe commerce collapsing to 4% on-time and a median delay of 9.9 days. That was the lane’s worst month-to-month consequence since September 2021, when on-time efficiency reached 3% throughout the Covid pandemic.
Asia-to-North America reliability was unchanged at a dismal 20%, however common delay elevated 0.8 days month over month to six.9 days. Xeneta stated Chinese language port congestion is more and more translating into berth-arrival delays for shippers in Europe and North America.
The speed surroundings compounded the operational strain. Xeneta’s spot-market common for China to the U.S. West Coast reached $7,717 per FEU in early October, greater than 4 instances the $1,778 recorded in September 2025 and eight% above the beginning of September 2026. Lengthy-term charges rose 26% month over month to $3,649 per FEU on Oct. 1.
Carriers submit delay highs
Each service tracked by Xeneta posted its highest common delay of the previous 12 months in September. 4 carriers additionally reached 12-month lows in on-time arrivals: CMA CGM at 30%, Cosco (1919.HK) at 18%, Hapag-Lloyd at 45% and Yang Ming (2609.TW) at 4%.
The efficiency unfold between carriers narrowed to 43 share factors, from 45 factors in August. Maersk (OTC: AMKBY), the month’s most dependable service, fell from 51% to 47%, whereas Yang Ming marked the low finish at 4%.
Xeneta stated the Gemini community of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd — launched on a premise of on-time efficiency — declined extra sharply than different alliances, falling from 70% on-time in June to 40% in September. Its weekly on-time fee dropped from 62% within the first week of August to 34% within the week ended Sept. 28, and partial information for the week of Oct. 5 confirmed 28%.
Singapore congestion doubles
Port congestion unfold downstream from China into Southeast Asia. Singapore’s common each day vessel queue almost doubled to 22 ships, whereas common wait time rose from 1.9 to three.1 days, because the transshipment hub absorbed results of congestion at Chinese language gateways.
Southeast Asia recorded a 2.0-day common vessel wait, with 23% of vessels ready. Africa remained essentially the most congested area regardless of enchancment, with a 2.5-day common wait and 32% of vessels ready.
In Northeast Asia, 30% of vessels at port had been ready, and common wait rose 0.3 days to 1.6 days. Shanghai’s anchorage queue shortened from 101 to 86 vessels per day, though common wait lengthened from 1.9 to 2.7 days.
Capability cuts might enhance
Carriers blanked — cancelled or delayed — solely 6% of deliberate capability on Far East-to-Europe and eight% on Far East-to-North America in September, their third-lowest blanking ranges in 21 months, as delays and pre-Golden Week demand absorbed accessible capability.
Nevertheless, introduced clean sailings are set to rise in October to no less than 17% of deliberate capability on Far East-to-Europe and 13% on Far East-to-North America. Deliberate Far East-to-Europe capability in October is the best of any month in a 22-month window, leaving restricted slack to offset delays by way of cancellations.
Xeneta suggested shippers to permit extra lead time for October bookings and to ask carriers which companies shall be protected against capability cuts. It additionally warned that reliability, port rotations, unscheduled calls and capability administration must be central to service accountability discussions forward of 2027 contract tenders.
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