Port Congestion and Weather Delay Supply Chains

The ocean freight peak season in 2026 has been extremely busy, but it hasn’t come without some hiccups for carriers and terminal operators. September is shaping up to be the busiest month of 2026 for imports into the U.S., but weather and operational challenges are leading to delays across supply chains. The following updates from Scarbrough’s shipping partners provide a glimpse into the current problems facing the maritime industry this month.

Multiple typhoons have hit Chinese ports over the past month, severely hindering their operations. Ningbo and Shanghai have been especially hard-hit, leading to delays of up to 10 days in the most severe cases. Ports in the area remain highly congested, which means capacity remains extremely tight as they wait for ships to complete their voyages.

China’s Golden Week holiday runs from October 1-7 as well, so it is likely that congestion won’t begin to clear up until the second week of October at the earliest.

India is also in the middle of its monsoon season, so similar delays and capacity shortages are expected to continue in the near future. Mundra has been dealing with cargo delays throughout most of September due to a variety of reasons.

In the U.S., the Port of Los Angeles-Long Beach is facing its longest dwell times since early 2025. A combination of factors, including a surge in import volumes, chassis shortages, and local road closures, are leading to extended dwell times. At Scarbrough, we have seen average dwell times around 2-3 weeks, with some extreme cases reaching up to 60 days. Recent crane issues have also delayed operations in some cases.

Due to these factors, we don’t foresee rates dropping from any of our carriers until at least October. If you have any questions, please contact Scarbrough for updates.

We will provide further updates as conditions evolve.