Patience is currently required at several major container ports in China. The situation is particularly strained in Shanghai and Ningbo. In early September, ships had to wait up to ten days for a berth at these ports. In Shanghai, waiting times of seven to ten days were reported. In Ningbo, it was up to ten days. Yantian near Shenzhen experienced three to five days, and Nansha near Guangzhou one and a half to two days. So not every port is affected equally. ICIS One major reason is the strong typhoon season. Multiple storms have temporarily halted or significantly slowed port operations. While a port reopens after closure, the backlog does not disappear immediately. Delayed vessels arrive simultaneously, terminals become congested, and containers remain in the port longer. Adding to this is the traditional export peak in August and September. Many companies ship goods for the autumn and Christmas season. At the same time, conflicts and route diversions on international routes disrupt vessel schedules. This results in missing ships at other locations or delayed arrivals in China. On August 25, according to Linerlytica, vessels worldwide with more than 4.3 million TEU capacity were waiting for a berth. This was absolutely higher than the peak during the pandemic. A week later, the figure was still at 3.92 million TEU. The congestion has therefore decreased somewhat, but remains very high. Linerlytica Shipments with tight schedules are particularly at risk. These include seasonal goods, spare parts, electronics, machinery components, and goods for ongoing promotions. Shipments with a connection at another Asian port may also be affected. If a port is skipped, a container may remain idle until the next suitable departure. For companies outside China, this means: Departure dates and expected arrivals should currently not be regarded as fixed schedules.