Customer Advisory: China shipping disruption and India capacity pressure

Shipping schedules across eastern China remain under pressure after Typhoon Dolphin disrupted major ports and inland transport networks, compounding delays created by Typhoon Bavi just a few weeks earlier.

Temporary closures and operational restrictions at Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan and surrounding feeder ports interrupted vessel movements and cargo handling. Vessels were delayed at anchorage, while others were diverted as ports restricted operations during the severe weather.

The immediate weather disruption is easing, but its impact will take longer to clear. Accumulated cargo, displaced vessels and missed berthing windows are continuing to affect sailing schedules and connections.

Delays continue despite improving port operations

Port productivity is recovering, but delays of 7–21 days remain common on affected services, with some shipments experiencing longer disruption depending on routing, vessel position and onward connections.

This is important because the impact of a major weather event does not end when a port reopens.

A vessel delayed at Shanghai or Ningbo-Zhoushan may arrive late at every subsequent port in its rotation. Missed berthing windows, disrupted feeder connections and accumulated cargo can then extend the impact across services that were not directly exposed to the typhoon.

Schedule reliability may therefore remain under pressure while carriers reposition vessels and work to restore normal rotations.

Inland connections are also recovering

Severe weather affected road, rail and barge movements as well as port operations. These networks are gradually returning to normal, although localised delays remain possible. Cargo can consequently face disruption before reaching the export terminal as well as after vessel schedules have been revised.

Shippers should consider the complete origin-to-destination journey when assessing likely transit times rather than relying solely on the latest published sailing schedule.

What this means for China supply chains

Build in additional time
Allow additional lead time for current and forthcoming China shipments while ports and carrier networks work through the backlog.

Prepare for schedule changes
Vessel arrivals, departures, port rotations and connections may continue to change at relatively short notice.

Assess inventory exposure
Businesses relying on time-sensitive replenishment should review stock positions and upcoming delivery commitments to understand where delays could create supply gaps.

Prioritise critical cargo
Where deadlines are particularly important, identifying priority shipments early provides more time to assess alternative solutions.

Consider alternative routings
Different gateways, routings or transhipment options may provide additional flexibility depending on cargo origin, destination and required delivery date.

Logicall is monitoring port conditions and carrier schedules and will work with customers to identify practical alternatives where these can reduce the impact of disruption.

India shipping update: Demand, capacity and monsoon disruption drive further pressure

India's container shipping market is also facing significant operational pressure, but for different reasons.

Strong export demand, restricted vessel capacity, equipment shortages and continuing monsoon conditions are combining to increase lead times, reduce schedule reliability and drive freight costs higher.

The greatest pressure is currently being seen on India–US and Latin America trades, with capacity to the US East Coast particularly constrained.

Peak Season Surcharges continue to increase

Carriers have progressively increased Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) during August and further increases are being introduced for September.

While US East Coast services are experiencing particularly significant pressure, further surcharge increases could be introduced across other markets if capacity remains constrained.

Businesses should therefore factor continued freight cost volatility into landed-cost and inventory planning.

Monsoon disruption affects key gateways

Active monsoon conditions across Western India are creating additional operational challenges.

JNPT (Nhava Sheva), India's busiest container gateway and an important hub for US-bound exports, continues to experience pressure from vessel bunching, terminal congestion and inland transport disruption.

Conditions are also affecting Mundra, another major export gateway, and Hazira, which handles significant feeder and manufacturing cargo from Western India.

Heavy rainfall can disrupt road and rail connections, slow terminal operations and make it harder for containers to reach their intended sailings.

Equipment remains another constraint

Availability of containers, particularly 40HC equipment, remains inconsistent across several Indian export locations.

This means securing vessel space does not necessarily guarantee that equipment will be available when required. Customers should allow additional time between booking, container collection and vessel cut-off.

What this means for India supply chains

Early booking remains important, particularly for shipments to the US and Latin America. Customers should also allow additional lead time for equipment availability, port congestion, inland disruption and potential vessel rollovers.

Businesses with critical replenishment requirements should review inventory levels and upcoming shipment schedules now rather than waiting for individual delays to affect supply.

Alternative gateways, routings and multimodal solutions may provide additional flexibility for selected shipments.

Logicall is monitoring carrier capacity, equipment availability, port conditions and surcharge developments and will work with customers to identify opportunities to protect supply continuity and manage the impact of changing market conditions.