According to DHL's March port update, multimodal operations at several North American container ports have been impacted by weather and rail issues. Canadian ports are facing container delays, with severe congestion at Halifax and Vancouver.

On the East Coast, harsh weather conditions over the North Atlantic have caused significant vessel delays at Canada’s Port of Halifax. Additionally, an average rail dwell time of 18 days has exacerbated the situation, creating a bottleneck that requires careful planning for cargo passing through this port.

Freight forwarders reported that vessels arriving at Halifax continue to deviate from their schedules — sometimes significantly — mainly due to weather conditions over the North Atlantic. PSA Atlantic Hub is striving to manage high yard counts and labor shortages, leading to slight improvements in import rail dwell times, now at 18 days. Some containers have been stuck for as long as 30 days. PSA and CN are working together to further maximize daily rail productivity.

Crane and IT system disruptions have affected productivity at Saint John, but terminal utilization has stabilized at 89%. Import rail dwell times have reached 11.1 days due to insufficient railcar supply to meet daily demand, although conditions are expected to improve over the next three to five days.

At the Port of Montreal, CPKC lifted its export embargo on March 7, increasing yard utilization to 60%. DHL reported that vessel productivity remains "strong," but winter navigation restrictions are now fully in effect. Current rail dwell time is 5.1 days, though unstable railcar supply is expected to take 7 to 10 days to recover.

Among U.S. East Coast ports, container dwell times in Savannah, Georgia, and Norfolk, Virginia, have reached five days or longer, with Norfolk’s productivity affected by weather. Delays at New York-New Jersey range from two to five days, with some equipment congestion and moderate shortages reported. The latest update did not identify any inland transport issues.

In the U.S. Gulf Coast region, from Florida to Texas, container dwell times at the ports of Miami and Houston are between two and five days, with Houston’s import dwell time reaching four days. No other disruptions have been reported.

On Canada’s West Coast, the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert are grappling with significant delays, primarily due to rail issues. While equipment availability remains stable, rail-related challenges have caused severe disruptions.

Vancouver has experienced vessel discharge delays of five days or more, while outbound containers have faced dwell times of up to 20 to 30 days. Import container delays range from two to five days.

The report also indicated that on the U.S. West Coast, container dwell times at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex range from three to seven days. Vessel discharge times at this port complex, as well as at Seattle-Tacoma and Oakland, California, are between two and five days. Tacoma’s Husky Terminal has a dwell time of six days.

Mexico is experiencing severe delays, particularly at ports like Lázaro Cárdenas and Manzanillo. Road infrastructure issues are the primary cause, necessitating adjustments in freight preparation and planning for movements in and out of these locations.

In Europe, France and Spain are currently logistics disruption hotspots due to ongoing but intermittent labor and rail strikes. These strikes have resulted in terminal closures and widespread transport interruptions, severely affecting cargo movements across the region.

The UK and surrounding areas are facing minor delays, with overall equipment availability remaining adequate. However, major ports such as Southampton and Felixstowe have reported some congestion, which may lead to slight schedule adjustments.

In the Middle East and Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, and Mombasa, Kenya, are experiencing severe delays and congestion. Wind-related issues and equipment shortages are the primary factors behind these disruptions. Shippers should anticipate extended wait times and plan accordingly.

In China, minor weather-related delays are expected at Shanghai and Ningbo. However, equipment supply remains sufficient, mitigating the impact of these delays.

Southeast Asia presents a mixed picture: Jakarta is operating smoothly with no major delays, while Singapore is struggling with yard congestion, which may affect shipment times.

The latest reports indicate that some regions, particularly Oceania, are facing serious equipment shortages, especially for 20-foot containers. Shippers are advised to plan ahead and consider using other container sizes whenever possible.