Container shipping reliability plummets to 27% in September, with average delays reaching six days due to labor shortages and port congestion.
The compliance rate with sailing schedules in global container shipping fell to 27% in September, marking the lowest level since February 2026. According to the latest report published by maritime data and analytics firm Xeneta, the average delay time for container ships has risen to six days, while the on-time arrival rate on the Far East-Europe route was recorded at only 4%.
According to a report by Seatrade Maritime News dated October 13, the congestion at Asian ports and the consecutive typhoons have caused significant disruptions in the sailing schedules of container ships.
On-time arrival rate drops to 27%
According to Xeneta's September 2026 Sailing Reliability Report, the on-time arrival rate in global container shipping decreased by 2 percentage points compared to August, falling to 27%.
Thus, sailing reliability has shown a decline for the fourth consecutive month.
As the average delay time for container ships reached six days, this duration increased by 2.4 days compared to the beginning of the second quarter.
Xeneta reported that the disruptions caused by typhoons affecting Asia from July to early September may continue into October, impacting port operations.
96% of ships delayed on Asia-Europe route
According to the report, the on-time arrival rate on the Far East-Europe route fell to 4% in September.
On this route, the average delay time for container ships reached 9.9 days.
This rate represents one of the lowest performances among the major trade routes examined since the 3% on-time arrival level recorded on the Asia-North America route in September 2021.
On the Far East-North America route, the on-time arrival rate remained at 20%, while the average delay time increased to 6.9 days.
Maersk ranks first with 47%
In Xeneta's September data, Maersk demonstrated the highest performance among the examined container lines with a 47% on-time arrival rate.
The company's on-time arrival rate decreased by 4 percentage points compared to the previous month.
Hapag-Lloyd recorded a 45% on-time arrival rate, CMA CGM 30%, and Cosco 18%.
Yang Ming's on-time arrival rate dropped to 4%.
The Gemini Cooperation network formed by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd had an on-time arrival rate of 70% in June, which fell to 40% in September.
Ship queues in Singapore nearly doubled
The increasing congestion at Asian ports has also reflected in the waiting times for ships.
According to Xeneta's data, the average daily ship queue at Singapore Port rose from 12 to 22. The waiting time at the port increased to 3.1 days.
At Shanghai Port, although the average number of ships at anchor decreased from 101 to 86, the waiting time increased from 1.9 days to 2.7 days.
Xeneta Senior Analyst Destine Ozuygur stated that the combination of typhoons with the existing port congestion has exacerbated delays and that the effects have spread to trade routes outside of Asia.
Increased cancellations of sailings in October
In addition to delays in container shipping, the cancellation of planned sailings continues.
According to Xeneta's data, in September, 6% of the planned capacity on the Far East-Europe route was canceled, while 8% was canceled on the Far East-North America route.
For the announced schedules in October, it is anticipated that at least 17% of the planned capacity on the Far East-Europe route and 13% of the capacity on the Far East-North America route will be canceled.
Container freight rates have also risen
The decline in sailing reliability and congestion at ports have also affected container freight prices.
According to Xeneta data, spot freight rates for shipments from China to the U.S. West Coast reached $7,717 per 40-foot container at the beginning of October.
On the same route, the average freight rate for long-term contracts was at $3,649 as of October 1.
Spot freight rates have exceeded four times the level of $1,778 recorded in September 2025.
Xeneta reported that due to the continued disruptions at Asian ports, no significant improvement in sailing reliability is expected in October.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
