15 August 2026
Executive Summary
Global container shipping is facing a growing problem that has little to do with whether vessels can physically cross an ocean.
They are increasingly struggling to get through the ports at either end.
Maersk says waiting times to berth at Shanghai have reached as much as 12 days, while congestion and inadequate landside infrastructure are also affecting Northern Europe, South America, West Africa and China. The pressure has helped drive freight rates higher despite continued geopolitical disruption elsewhere.
This creates an important shift in supply-chain risk.
Companies can successfully reroute vessels around geopolitical trouble, protect cargo in transit and secure alternative shipping capacity — only for the supply chain to stall when the ship reaches port.
The new chokepoint may therefore be:
Not the sea lane, but the berth.
UK Impact
UK importers and exporters are particularly exposed because so much international trade depends upon tightly scheduled container movements.
Extended port delays can result in:
- Missed production windows.
- Demurrage and detention charges.
- Container shortages.
- Delayed customer deliveries.
- Factory component shortages.
- Increased inventory requirements.
- Disrupted onward road and rail movements.
- Contractual disputes over late delivery.
The risk becomes particularly important for companies operating just-in-time or just-in-sequence supply chains.
A shipment that is technically “on schedule” at sea may still arrive commercially late if it spends several additional days waiting offshore.
Global Impact
Maersk has described severe infrastructure bottlenecks across several important international trading regions.
At Shanghai alone, waiting times have reached 12 days, while strong Chinese exports have added further pressure to container networks.
Congestion also creates secondary effects.
When vessels remain tied up for longer, effective global shipping capacity falls because ships and containers complete fewer journeys.
This can contribute to:
- Higher freight rates.
- Equipment shortages.
- Schedule unreliability.
- Port skipping.
- Cargo bunching.
- Warehousing pressure.
- Longer working-capital cycles.
The problem can therefore spread far beyond the congested port itself.
Our View
Businesses should start treating port performance as a separate supply-chain risk indicator, rather than simply monitoring whether shipping routes remain open.
Companies should ask:
- What are current berth waiting times at our critical ports?
- Which alternative ports can receive the same cargo?
- Are onward road and rail connections available from those alternatives?
- Who pays demurrage and detention if congestion causes delay?
- How much buffer stock protects critical production?
- Can suppliers ship earlier when congestion indicators deteriorate?
- Are alternative container lines genuinely independent of the same port network?
- Does business interruption planning consider port closure or severe congestion?
- Which customers face contractual consequences if cargo arrives late?
The important lesson is that successfully navigating the voyage does not guarantee successful delivery.
Increasingly, the greatest delay may occur within sight of the destination.
Risk Indicator: ELEVATED
Disclaimer
The information contained within these Market Alerts is provided for general market awareness and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, investment, regulatory or insurance advice. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication using multiple reputable and independently verified sources, geopolitical events, legislation, regulation and market conditions may change rapidly. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice before acting upon any information contained herein.
Invictus Risk Solutions LLP – Helping organisations stay ahead of emerging risks through informed insight and independent analysis.