Singapore Port Delays Average 4.5 Days as SE Asia Transshipment Congestion Deepens

2026-10-13 / Port congestion

Singapore: 4.48-day average delay, yards near capacity

Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer data shows vessels at Singapore arrived an average of 4.48 days behind schedule over the past 30 days, with departure delays of 4.3 days. Berthing waits of three to five days are common, and vessels discharging heavy transshipment volumes wait longer. With yard utilisation close to full, PSA is limiting additional transshipment cargo and giving priority to export-heavy vessels; 55 ships were alongside with 11 more at anchorage.

Port Klang and regional hubs under the same strain

Oceanbridge's 8 October market update reports yards at Singapore and Malaysian transshipment ports running at 85–90% capacity, well above the roughly 70% optimum. Some Indian Subcontinent services are omitting calls to protect schedules, and the return of Suez routings — arriving alongside Cape-routed tonnage — is expected to keep pressure high in the coming weeks.

Intra-Asia rates at post-COVID highs

Linerlytica's 5 October report puts intra-Asia container rates 177% above late-February levels, the highest since the pandemic peak, driven by congestion at Singapore, Port Klang and the Ho Chi Minh–Cai Mep cluster, and by a feeder shortage: only five Bangkok-max newbuildings have been delivered in 2026. The Shanghai Shipping Exchange's CCFI Southeast Asia index rose 3.8% week-on-week to 1,372.01 points on 9 October.

What shippers should do

Allow a 5–7 day buffer for cargo transshipping via Singapore or Port Klang; prefer direct services to Singapore and Malaysia where possible; book at least two weeks ahead while space is tight; make sure quotes itemise congestion surcharges; and for deadline-critical cargo, compare air freight and express options.