The demand for goods has been much higher and has come much earlier in the peak season than many in the shipping industry had expected. 

As a result, the world’s ports have been extremely busy, but the worst of the bustle and congestion now seems to be easing in June, reports Alphaliner. 

However, the slowdown in congestion is still at a very high level. 

”Port congestion has re-emerged at a number of key hubs and gateways, and some of the world fleet’s capacity is now tied up in ships waiting to berth or detouring to avoid the most congested terminals,” the research firm writes.

Compared to the first five months of 2023, the number of container ships in the Port of Singapore has increased by 13% year-on-year. In January, almost 2,000 container ships were handled at the port’s terminals. 

One of the reasons for this is that Singapore has increasingly become a hub port in recent times, as much of the world’s commercial shipping does not sail through the Red Sea for fear of attack by the Houthis. 

This means that ports like Jebel Ali, Salalah, Jeddah or King Abdullah are no longer covered by high-capacity routes. Therefore, shipping companies have to find new points on the world map to dock. 

Alphaliner writes that the Singapore Port Authority has introduced measures to help ease congestion at the port. 

This has apparently had an effect as ”queues for container ships have shortened significantly this month.”