July 30th, 2026 – Shippers and ocean carriers are navigating another round of weather-related disruption in China after Typhoon Noul swept across southern China last weekend, forcing the temporary closure of terminals and depots in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and adding further strain to an already congested port network.
The storm brought heavy rain and winds approaching 100 mph, arriving just weeks after Typhoon Bavi disrupted operations at the ports of Shanghai and Ningbo. Although those eastern China gateways have resumed normal operations, congestion continues to linger, creating delays that are now being compounded by disruptions in southern China.
Shanghai remains under pressure, with average vessel delays of approximately five days. Some terminals, including Waigaoqiao and the Yangshan Deepwater Port, are reporting waits of up to eight days. Vessel congestion has more than doubled in recent weeks, with Portcast data showing 127 ships waiting outside Shanghai as of July 20, compared to 57 on July 6. Arrival-to-berth times have also increased significantly, rising from roughly 70 hours to 110 hours over the same period, according to Vizion.
Further south, Typhoon Noul forced ports in Hong Kong and Shenzhen to suspend operations for as long as 38 hours beginning Saturday. The closures disrupted multiple ocean services, with several sailings delayed and at least two departures pushed back until later this week. Ocean carriers are continuing to adjust schedules as they work through vessel bunching and restore service reliability.
Terminal operators have since resumed operations across the region. Modern Terminals in Hong Kong reopened Sunday afternoon, while DaChan Bay and Hongkong International Terminals restarted container gate operations Sunday evening. Other Shenzhen facilities, including Shekou and Yantian, also resumed activity after weather conditions improved, though recovery efforts remain ongoing.
Yantian International Container Terminal, located near where the storm made landfall, reopened gate operations early Monday after shutting down over the weekend. To manage yard capacity, the terminal is temporarily limiting export container intake to approximately 5,000 containers per day, leading to long truck queues and slower cargo processing.
Forwarders report that vessel waiting times at Yantian have reached up to three days. High yard utilization and limited gate appointment availability are expected to keep congestion elevated in the near term. Similar challenges are affecting nearby Shekou, where export container slots remain scarce and equipment shortages continue to disrupt cargo movements.
Transportation issues are also extending beyond the major port complexes. Logistics providers warn that heavy rain and strong winds across Guangdong Province are likely to delay inland trucking operations and cargo movements, creating additional challenges for importers and exporters already coping with schedule disruptions.
With congestion still lingering in eastern China and southern ports now recovering from Typhoon Noul, supply chains across the region are expected to remain under pressure in the coming weeks as carriers work to clear backlogs and return sailing schedules to normal.
