Ships arriving later due to disruptions at other ports: PSA

Manufacturing firms facing delays for shipments

- Choo Yun Ting

Container vessels are continuing to arrive late at Singapore’s terminals due to congestion at other ports, port operator PSA Singapore said yesterday.

This comes as major ports such as China’s Yantian in Shenzhen and Los Angeles are seeing backlogs that are disrupting global supply chains. Containers there are piling up, waiting to be collected and taken to other destinations, or to be unloaded.

A PSA spokesman said that while its service levels to vessels “remain optimal”, the disruptions are likely to persist for the foreseeable future.

The operator is working with customers to help them catch up on their delayed schedules and fulfil cargo connections, the spokesman added.

Singapore Logistics Association chairman Dave Ng told The Straits Times that vessels are generally waiting one to three days to dock at berths at major ports in South-east Asia, including Singapore.

The wait is more than three days at major ports in north-east Asia and could extend to over a week in other parts of the world.