Two Closures in One Month at Asia’s Busiest Port Drive Delays and Higher Freight Rates to South America – Trade News | 19/08/26

The Shanghai–Ningbo–Zhoushan port corridor was closed twice in less than 30 days due to Typhoons Bavi and Dolphin, causing delays, reduced space availability on ships, and upward pressure on freight rates between Asia and South America. Before Dolphin struck, the Shanghai terminals were already facing delays of between 4.4 and 8 days due to the previous closure, while the new disruption forced shipping lines to reschedule itineraries, skip port calls, and perform more cargo rebooking, postponing containers to later sailings. The impact also extends to transshipment hubs such as Singapore, Busan, and Manila, which are key for traffic between Asia and South America. Spot rates from North Asia to South America remained high throughout August, amid strong demand for container transport and reduced cargo space availability. Although the Chinese port system demonstrated the ability to recover quickly after the closures, typhoon season continues: between August and September, an additional six to seven tropical cyclones are expected in the region, of which two to three could directly affect China. For Argentine importers, this means greater volatility in freight costs and shipment arrival dates, especially for cargo passing through Shanghai, Ningbo, or major regional transshipment hubs. Link to Article