Container delivery times have roughly doubled during the pandemic

The index tracks the change in the duration of the period from the moment the cargo is ready for shipment by the exporter to the moment it is received by the importer. For routes from Asia to North America, on average for 2019, that is, before the pandemic, this indicator ranged from 45 to 50 days. The index value of January 2, 2022 set a new record - 110 days.

Similarly, for routes from Asia to Europe before the pandemic, the average container delivery time was in the range of 55 to 60 days, on January 2, this figure reached 108 days.

The first data for the beginning of 2022 indicate that the problems with congestion are far from being resolved.

"All available data indicate that the problems with congestion and failures are only getting worse," warns Sea-Intelligence.

Thus, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, as of January 8, the number of container ships anchored in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, within a 40-mile zone, as well as beyond, moving towards ports reached 134.

The report also notes that the size of container ships arriving now has significantly decreased. So in the spring of 2021, 50-60% of container ships arriving at the port complex had a capacity of over 10 thousand TEU. In the autumn, this figure decreased to 20-30%, and recently - to only 5-10%.