As the logistics sector moves toward 2026, port congestion remains a persistent threat to global supply chains despite some recent dips in vessel waiting times at select ports.
These recent improvements appear driven more by weakened market demand than by long-term enhancements in port efficiency. As a result, disruption continues to be both widespread and difficult to predict.
Throughout 2025, many major ports have struggled with recurring queues of inbound vessels, and similar patterns could easily return next year – particularly if ocean carriers shift back to the Suez Canal after months of rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope.
A carrier return to the shorter Suez route may speed up transit times, but it also risks funneling ships into key hubs in bunches, which would likely amplifying bottlenecks across Europe and Asia.
Significant congestion has been felt at global gateways including Shanghai, Ningbo, Singapore, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Antwerp, and Rotterdam. Challenges are not limited to these high-volume ports; in the UK, terminals such as Felixstowe, London Gateway, and Southampton have experienced prolonged delays as well.
Operational reliability has been further undermined by disruptive weather and labour unrest. Strikes in Rotterdam, Portugal, and Mexico have recently compounded the global issue, while this week’s nationwide industrial action in Belgium will add to the issues being faced by Antwerp.
Given these overlapping pressures, global port congestion seems likely to be a disrupting factor again next year. Global Freight Services will continue to monitor the situation closely, and are available to provide support with planning and contingency strategies as the situation evolves.