RE: CHINA TYPHOON BAVI – PORT DISRUPTIONS
Monday, July 13, 2026
RE: CHINA TYPHOON BAVI – PORT DISRUPTIONS
As many of you may have seen in the weekend news, Typhoon Bavi has swept through China's Zhejiang Province, causing significant disruption to two of China's major container ports, Shanghai and Ningbo. Port closures came into effect on 10 July.
Since the closures began, operations have also been suspended or significantly restricted at the following ports:
Shanghai
Ningbo
Xiamen
Fuzhou
Keelung (Taiwan)
Kaohsiung (Taiwan)
Ishigaki (Japan)
These ports have either halted operations completely or imposed restrictions on vessel berthing until further notice.
Although Yantian and Qingdao avoided a direct impact from the typhoon, they are expected to experience significant flow-on effects, including operational delays, increased congestion, and vessel backlogs.
RE: RECOVERY PERIOD
As Typhoon Bavi continues to weaken and move away from Zhejiang Province, authorities expect port infrastructure and terminal operations in Shanghai and Ningbo to progressively reopen.
Current estimates indicate that port operations should return to normal over the next 2–3 days, subject to weather conditions and terminal recovery efforts.
RE: RIPPLE EFFECT & EXTENDED BACKLOGS
While port operations are expected to resume shortly, the recovery of international cargo movements will take considerably longer.
Industry forecasts indicate that the disruption has already created approximately two weeks of scheduling delays, with several major shipping lines omitting calls to Shanghai and Ningbo to minimise congestion and protect broader vessel schedules.
Even before Typhoon Bavi, both Shanghai and Ningbo were experiencing severe peak season congestion, with more than 150 vessels waiting at anchor. The additional disruption is expected to:
Increase vessel queues.
Extend waiting times for berthing.
Delay cargo loading and discharge operations.
Impact vessel departure schedules.
Create ongoing delays throughout regional and global shipping networks.
Customers should expect shipment delays over the coming weeks as carriers work through the backlog.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide further updates as additional information becomes available regarding port congestion, vessel schedules, and recovery timelines.
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