The global maritime transport reliability has decreased to 27% by the end of the third quarter of 2023, reflecting the multiple challenges facing the maritime transport industry. The average fleet delay has increased to 6 days, a figure that has been consistently rising over the past four months.
Impact of Storms on Reliability
Trade from the Far East to Europe has faced a severe drop in reliability to 4%, with the average delay reaching 9.9 days. This is the worst situation since September 2021. Additionally, trade from the Far East to North America has remained stable at a reliability level of 20%, while the average delay has increased to 6.9 days.
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Increase in Transport Costs
Freight rates have also significantly increased. The average market rate for shipping from China to the West Coast of the United States reached $7,717 per container (FEU) in early October, showing an increase of more than four times compared to September 2025. Long-term rates have also risen by 26% monthly from $3,649 on October 1.
Moreover, two trades from the West and East Coasts of South America were the only trades that showed significant improvements in both reliability and delay this month, increasing by 10% and 12% respectively, and reducing the average delay to 1 day.
Delays Due to Port Congestion
In Asia, port congestion remains one of the main challenges. Particularly in Singapore, the number of ships has significantly increased, and the average waiting time has reached 3.1 days. This situation has been exacerbated by delays caused by congestion in Chinese ports and its impacts on transport to the West Coast of the United States and Europe.
Overall, while trade from Northern Europe to North America has the best situation among trades with a reliability of 49%, other shipping lines are facing increasing challenges in delays and costs. These conditions necessitate a reevaluation and update of new transport planning for 2027.
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