Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on the Zhejiang coast between 9 and 10 August at super typhoon strength and is now weakening inland. The storm is passing. The delay it left behind is not.
Ningbo-Zhoushan closed completely from 18:00 on 7 August, with more than 800 ships moved out. Shanghai stopped container gates at Yangshan and Waigaoqiao on 8 August. Safety checks were still running on 10 August and gates are reopening in phases. Once terminals restart, Shypple expects ships to wait 7 to 10 days or more for a berth, with yards 75% to 90% full and feeder services running 3 to 7 days behind, citing Seko Logistics. The timing compounds the problem: week 33 had already been flagged as the week with the least space in August, and the backlog now sits on top of that. Shypple’s advice is to assume any Chinese sailing in the next three weeks moves later than the schedule says.
Ocean rates ease everywhere except India
Asia to Europe spot rates fell for a fourth consecutive week, with carriers cancelling or scaling back planned increases, per The Loadstar. India is the exception, with rates to Europe above $5,000 for a 40-foot container, short space and hard-to-find empties, the same pattern seen out of China earlier this year.
Inland costs climb from several directions
Road fuel surcharges bottomed at 15% in mid-July and are now 24% for the Netherlands and Belgium, going to 26% next week, above the June peak of 23%. Rhine water levels are at a record low, so barges carry a fraction of their usual load and that cargo moves to the road. Road cannot easily absorb it in August, when drivers are on holiday, and Germany has relaxed its Sunday driving ban for the first time in around 14 years. The first hauliers have started charging congestion or peak season surcharges, including in Belgium.
New EU packaging rules also apply from 12 August with no transition period. PPWR covers all packaging in every material, for importers, manufacturers, distributors, marketplaces and fulfilment providers, with no exemption for smaller companies. From that date it requires an EU declaration of conformity, registration under producer responsibility, and packaging minimisation with a maximum of 40% empty space in e-commerce packaging. Food-contact packaging also faces limits on PFAS and heavy metals.
The Panama Canal is stepping its draft limit down again, reaching 14.48 metres by 3 September on low water in Gatun Lake.
The full update covers surcharge changes and the air freight picture.
