Container ships face longer turnaround at Singapore ports due to increased vessel calls, container volumes

Container vessels at Singapore's port now need to wait five to seven days for a turnaround, up from a two-day maximum for ultra-large 18,000 TEU vessel, due to a recent surge in vessel calls and container volumes.

There are also week-long delays due to cargo unable to be loaded onto a vessel due to lack of capacity.

A Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) spokesperson said the cause of congestion includes an unprecedented and volatile surge in cargo demand, renewed lockdowns, a lack of usable empty containers, and unreliable sailing schedules.

The renewed lockdowns have caused congestion across all nodes in the global supply chain, including seaports, warehouses, and depots.

The lack of usable empty containers was due to laden ones being held up longer at these nodes.

He added that it caused further delays at almost every seaport globally.

The PSA has deployed additional resources to support the increased activity, including priority discharge, express delivery, timely updates, and top stowage.

PSA is also working with shipping line customers and cargo owners to alleviate the situation.

Ng Baoying, the global managing editor for container shipping at S&P Global Platts, noted that port congestion is not unique to Singapore, as the port at Los Angeles/Long Beach had at one point more than 34 container ships queueing.

According to CTI Consultancy director Andy Lane, the congestion at Singapore's port was far from being critical and Singapore was coping better in terms of adapting capacity to meet peak demands than other ports.