September 24th, 2026 – Global container shipping schedule reliability declined for the third consecutive month in August, with just 29% of vessels arriving on time as disruptions continued across major trade lanes.
According to Xeneta, August’s performance fell four percentage points from 33% in July, while the average vessel delay increased from 4.2 days to 5.1 days. The combination of more late vessels and longer delays is creating additional challenges for shippers heading into the fourth quarter.
Far East–Europe Reliability Falls to 6%
The Far East–Europe trade experienced the sharpest deterioration, with on-time performance falling 10 percentage points to just 6%. Average delays climbed to 8.2 days, bringing reliability close to levels last seen during the height of pandemic-related supply chain disruption in late 2021.
The trade continues to face pressure from Red Sea disruptions, vessel diversions around Africa, congestion at North European ports, longer berth stays and weather-related interruptions.
Four consecutive typhoons in China added to the disruption. Following Typhoon Saudel, approximately 1.1 million TEUs of cargo were held at anchorage across Ningbo, Shanghai and Yantian. These backlogs could ripple into Europe and North America as delayed departures from Asia lead to late arrivals and disrupted vessel rotations.
Reliability Declines Across Other Trades
Other regions also experienced significant declines. Africa recorded 21% on-time performance, down 15 percentage points, while South America’s East Coast fell 12 points to 34%.
Average delays on the South America East Coast doubled to 5.4 days. A three-day pilotage strike at Argentine ports contributed to delays and prompted some carriers to divert cargo through Montevideo and Itajai.
Carrier performance also weakened, with 10 of the world’s 12 largest container carriers reporting lower reliability in August. Maersk remained the strongest performer at 51% on time, followed by Hapag-Lloyd at 46%. CMA CGM fell to 33%, while Cosco declined to 22%.
Despite declining reliability, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd limited their average delays to 2.8 days. By comparison, HMM and Yang Ming averaged approximately nine to 10 days late.
Congestion and Holiday Demand Add Pressure
Africa remained the world’s most congested container shipping region, with vessels waiting an average of 3.3 days, followed by the Middle East at 2.3 days and Southeast Asia at 1.7 days.
Congestion also remains a concern in Northeast Asia. While Ningbo’s average waiting time improved slightly to 2.8 days, the average number of vessels at anchorage increased 63%, from 39 to 63 ships per day.
Further pressure could emerge around China’s upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, September 25th to 27th, and Golden Week, October 1st to 7th. Factory closures typically concentrate bookings ahead of the holidays, while existing delays, slow steaming, longer berth stays and port omissions can further reduce effective capacity.
With schedule reliability already under significant pressure, shippers could face continued cargo delays, tighter capacity and upward pressure on freight rates heading into the fourth quarter.
