When you book a shipment, you expect it to arrive on time. But in the real world, delays happen. Bad weather, port backups, or unexpected disruptions can throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans. For businesses relying on smooth logistics, these hiccups aren’t just annoying—they can be costly.
So, what actually causes shipping delays? Here are the top reasons—and how you can prepare for them.
Common Shipping Delay Causes
1. The Unpredictable Stuff (a.k.a. “Force Majeure”)
Sometimes, it’s just out of anyone’s hands. Storms, political conflicts, piracy, or accidents—these fall under force majeure, the fancy legal term for "things we can’t control." Remember the 2021 Suez Canal blockage? A single stuck ship held up 12% of global trade for a week—and the ripple effects lasted months.
What you can do: Build extra cushion into your timelines, especially for high-stakes shipments.
2. Peak Season Chaos & Last-Minute Changes
Holiday rushes, Chinese New Year shutdowns, or sudden surges in demand can clog ports and highways. Factories close, trucks get stuck in gridlock, and before you know it, your container’s sitting in a queue for days.
Pro tip: If you’re shipping during busy seasons, pad your schedule. That extra week of buffer could save you a headache later.
3. Customs Hold-Ups
Missing paperwork, incorrect forms, or random inspections can stall your shipment. Customs regulations also change, so staying updated is key.
Solution: Familiarize yourself with essential shipping documents or partner with a customs expert to navigate surprises.
4. Unclear Responsibilities
A smooth shipment requires clear roles—who submits what, and when? At Maersk, we proactively guide you (like when to submit Shipping Instructions) and provide real-time tracking so you’re always informed.
5. Outdated Logistics Tech
Slow booking processes or poor tracking systems? They add unnecessary delays. With Maersk, you can book and monitor shipments seamlessly online—no phone tag required.
6. Port Congestion & Strikes
Too many containers, labor strikes, or events like COVID-19 can gridlock ports for weeks.
7. Production Delays
If suppliers miss deadlines and no buffer is built in, your entire timeline suffers.
Smart move: Always account for potential production delays in your planning.
8. Rolled Shipments (When Cargo Gets Bumped)
If demand outweighs vessel space—or paperwork is incomplete—your container might not make its scheduled ship.
Avoid this: Work with a provider that offers space guarantees and prioritization for time-sensitive cargo.
9. Cargo Damage (Rare but Possible)
Accidents happen—fire, theft, or rough weather can impact goods in transit.
Extra protection: Maersk’s Value Protect extends coverage for these risks, with a straightforward claims process.
Major Causes of Shipping Container Delays in 2025
1. Ports Are Overloaded—And Can’t Keep Up
Global trade keeps growing, but many ports still operate like it’s 2010. The result? Ships stacked up offshore, containers piling up on docks, and weeks-long delays just to unload. The system is clogged, and everyone pays the price in time and extra costs.
2. Not Enough Workers—And Too Many Strikes
Ports, trucking companies, and warehouses are all struggling with labor shortages. Experienced dockworkers are retiring, truck drivers are in short supply, and when labor disputes hit, entire supply chains freeze overnight. Even when cargo finally gets unloaded, there often aren’t enough drivers to move it.
3. Geopolitics Is Forcing Ships to Take the Long Way
Conflict zones, trade wars, and sanctions are redrawing shipping routes overnight. A trip that once took two weeks might now take a month as vessels detour around danger zones. Every extra mile means extra fuel, extra costs, and extra delays—all passed down to you.
4. Weather Is More Unpredictable Than Ever
Hurricanes, typhoons, and even extreme heat now regularly shut down ports and railways. A single storm can snarl operations for weeks, and with climate change accelerating, these disruptions are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
5. Containers Are Still in the Wrong Places
Remember the global container shortage? It’s not over—it’s just shifted. Empty boxes pile up in some countries while others face shortages, forcing companies to wait (and pay more) just to get equipment where it’s needed.
Global Port Congestion in 2025: Key Causes
Labor Unrest Reaches a Breaking Point
This isn’t about isolated strikes anymore. When dockworkers in major hubs like Hamburg or Los Angeles walk out, the shockwaves paralyze entire trade routes for weeks. The strikes themselves might last days, but the congestion lingers for months, creating a domino effect that strangles global supply chains.
Infrastructure Can’t Keep Up With Reality
That state-of-the-art automated terminal in Singapore? It’s rendered useless when feeder ports still rely on equipment from the 1990s. We’re trying to force 2025’s massive container volumes through ports designed for a different era. The cranes move in slow motion while mega-ships stack up in the harbor, and there’s no quick solution in sight.
Climate Chaos Becomes the New Normal
Last quarter’s typhoon in Shanghai didn’t just cause temporary delays—it permanently altered shipping patterns across Asia. What used to be rare weather events now occur with such frequency that they’ve reshaped the entire logistics calendar. Seasonal disruptions aren’t exceptions anymore; they’re expected parts of the shipping equation.
The New Rules of Survival
Real-time port monitoring has evolved from a luxury to an absolute necessity—it’s the only way to reroute shipments fast enough to matter. Backup port relationships are no longer contingency plans but core strategy. And buffer stocks have transformed from inventory management to existential safeguards when shipments miss their windows by weeks instead of days.
The Old Playbook Is Obsolete
The "wait-and-see" approach that worked in previous years now guarantees months-long delays. Successful companies are treating every shipment like it’s navigating a warzone, because in operational terms, that’s exactly what modern ports have become. This isn’t about temporary adjustments—it’s about fundamentally reinventing how we move goods.
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
This isn’t merely about weathering delays anymore. It’s about building an operation that can function when the entire system is breaking down. The companies that will thrive are those recognizing that 2025’s port congestion isn’t a problem to solve—it’s the new environment in which we must learn to operate.
The Most Congested Ports in 2025
1. Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach
The West Coast’s busiest gateway remains paralyzed in 2025, with automation gains erased by persistent trucker shortages and dockworker strikes. Surging Asian imports have ships queuing for weeks, triggering cascading delays across North American supply chains – containers piling up at terminals, demurrage fees skyrocketing, and final-mile deliveries stuck in gridlock.
2. Port of Shanghai
China’s export powerhouse is buckling under its own success. Despite post-COVID reopenings, relentless outbound volumes collide with limited yard space, creating vessel traffic jams visible from space. The ripple effects are brutal: equipment shortages strand cargo, European/US-bound shipments miss connections, and schedule reliability becomes a cruel joke for forwarders.
3. Port of Rotterdam
Europe’s premier hub is drowning in red tape and cargo. New EU carbon regulations mean agonizing customs inspections, while Brexit-driven intra-European traffic clogs docks. The result? Container backlogs stretching into weeks, desperate diversions to Antwerp, and a premium on any vessel space not stuck in bureaucratic purgatory.
4. Port of Singapore
The world’s busiest transshipment hub is showing alarming cracks. When typhoons disrupt operations, the entire region feels it – vessels bunch up at anchor, regional connections back up, and neighboring ports like Klang buckle under diverted loads. What was once a model of efficiency now epitomizes fragile global networks.
5. Port of Jebel Ali
Red Sea diversions transformed this Middle Eastern hub into a victim of its own success. Surging Asia-Africa-Europe traffic overwhelms capacity, turning rapid turnarounds into weeks-long marathons. Regional distributors now face impossible choices: wait indefinitely or pay exorbitant air freight premiums.
6. Port of New York/New Jersey
America’s East Coast alternative is now its own bottleneck. Soaring imports meet crumbling landside infrastructure – warehouses overflow, trucks idle for days, and customs clearance becomes a lottery. The Northeast’s delivery networks are choking on their own growth.
7. Port of Hamburg
Germany’s industrial engine is sputtering. Chronic strikes and outdated infrastructure collide with post-Brexit cargo surges, forcing EU-bound shipments into slow-motion processing. Forwarders increasingly bypass Hamburg entirely – if they can secure space at Antwerp or Le Havre.
8. Port of Durban
Africa’s critical gateway is crumbling. Between cyclone damage, ancient equipment, and labor shortages, what should be a 48-hour turnaround now takes weeks. Some importers are abandoning sea freight altogether, despite air cargo’s staggering costs.
9. Port of Santos
Brazil’s agricultural boom is bursting its ports. Soybean and coffee exports pile up while outdated facilities struggle to keep pace, creating perishable nightmares. The hidden toll? Spiraling inland transport costs as trucks wait days to load.
10. Port of Manila
The Philippines’ e-commerce explosion has overwhelmed its ports. With expansion projects lagging and intermodal links failing, consumer goods languish for weeks. Regional alternatives like Batangas can’t compensate – they’re now congested too.
Strategies to Mitigate Shipping Delays
1. Have a Backup Plan
Expect delays (weather, strikes, congestion) and prep for them:
- Train your team on quick-response protocols
- Map alternate routes and backup ports
- Keep extra resources on standby
2. Track Shipments in Real-Time
See problems before they escalate with:
- Live vessel tracking (GPS/AIS)
- Cargo status updates
- Storm prediction tools
Pro tip: Real-time data lets you reroute before delays happen.
3. Diversify Your Routes
Don’t rely on one path. Smart moves:
- Use less congested ports
- Have backup shipping lanes
- Avoid peak-season choke points
4. Add Buffer Time
Pad your schedules:
- Extra days for risky routes/seasons
- Honest customer ETAs
- Flexibility for mechanical hiccups
5. Befriend Port Teams
Good relationships mean:
- Priority docking during crunches
- Faster customs clearance
- Early heads-up on issues
6. Predict Delays with AI
Let tech spot trouble early:
- Weather disruption alerts
- Port congestion forecasts
- Automated risk warnings
7. Tune Up Your Supply Chain
Regularly optimize by:
- Auditing slow suppliers
- Balancing inventory smarter
- Cutting paperwork logjams
8. Over-Communicate
Keep everyone aligned:
- Live shipment updates
- Clear delay protocols
- Team problem-solving
9. Write Flexible Contracts
Protect yourself with:
- Adjustable delivery windows
- Fair delay penalties
- Transparent update rules
10. Keep an Emergency Fund
Cash on hand lets you:
- Pay for expedited shipping
- Fix breakdowns fast
- Cover surprise fees
Global Container Shipping Outlook: Mid-2025 Assessment
Red Sea Crisis – The New Normal
As we reach mid-2025, the shipping industry has fully adapted to the reality of permanent Red Sea diversions. What began as an emergency rerouting has become standard operation, with carriers optimizing networks around the Cape of Good Hope transit. Rates have stabilized at 3,800−3,800−4,900 per 40ft container on Asia-Europe routes – still double pre-crisis levels but down from early 2024 peaks. The Suez Canal remains effectively closed to most container shipping, with only limited, high-risk transits attempted under naval escort. This prolonged disruption has fundamentally reshaped global trade lanes, with East Mediterranean ports losing significant volume to alternative hubs.
Evolving Challenges in the Current Market
The feared US East Coast port strikes never materialized after last-minute labor agreements, but congestion has worsened at key gateways due to infrastructure limitations. The new Trump administration’s trade policies have created unexpected volatility, with selective tariffs disrupting specific commodity flows while leaving overall trade volumes surprisingly resilient. The Gemini and Premier alliances have now fully implemented their redesigned networks, bringing modest rate competition but also improved schedule reliability in some lanes. Meanwhile, chronic congestion at transshipment hubs like Singapore continues to plague regional trade in Asia.
Fleet Utilization Balancing Act
The projected flood of new vessel deliveries has been partially absorbed by continued Cape diversions and stronger-than-expected demand growth in early 2025. Utilization rates have stabilized around 85-90% on major east-west trades, preventing the feared rate collapse. However, the industry now faces a new challenge: deploying ultra-large vessels efficiently in this altered trade environment. Some carriers are experimenting with modified rotation patterns and hub configurations to better utilize their mega-ships, with mixed results so far.
Strategic Considerations for Shippers
With the market showing unexpected stability in H1 2025, forward-looking shippers are:
- Securing longer-term contracts at current levels, anticipating potential H2 rate increases
- Developing alternative routing options via West Africa and South America
- Investing in supply chain visibility tools to navigate ongoing port congestion
- Monitoring potential new disruptions, including renewed labor negotiations in Europe
Final Remarks: Looking Ahead to H2 2025
The container shipping market has demonstrated remarkable resilience through the first half of 2025, but vulnerabilities remain. The current equilibrium depends heavily on continued demand growth and stable geopolitics – both of which face increasing uncertainty. As we move toward peak season, the industry appears better positioned than in previous years, but shippers would be wise to maintain flexible strategies in what remains a fundamentally volatile environment. The lessons of recent years have proven clear: in global shipping, stability is temporary, and adaptability is permanent.
