Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast on August 9, the third and strongest tropical storm to hit the region in the past five weeks and has left more than 2.4 million TEU of containership capacity stranded as vessels seek shelter outside the storm’s path. Ningbo and Shanghai have been hit hardest, with terminal operations suspended on August 7 and 8, and disruption has also spread to ports across Southern China.
Given the scale of the vessel backlog, delays are expected to persist for several weeks even after port operations fully resume, as terminals and carriers work through the accumulated congestion. Shippers should expect schedule reliability to remain significantly impacted in the coming weeks, with potential knock-on effects for vessel arrivals, transshipment connections, and equipment availability across the region.
We’re closely monitoring the situation and will keep you updated as it develops. If you need specific vessel or port schedule information for your shipments, please reach out to your local team.