North Asia's share of port congestion falls to 37% from 50%

Market Context & Direct Impact

North Asia's share of global port congestion fell to 37% in week 41. Linerlytica's reading, reported by The Loadstar on 22 October 2026, places North Asia at 37% of global port congestion. That is still the highest of any region, but it is down from 50% a month earlier. Average waits at Busan eased to 23 hours from 26, and Singapore's fell to 34 hours from 50 hours.

The recovery is incomplete, and the Pacific side carries its own labor risk. Freightos reported on 28 October 2026 that most large Chinese container hubs have not returned fully to normal after the summer storms. FreightWaves wrote on 4 November that lingering Far East backlogs may be adding upward pressure on rates. The latest port-level reliability figures in these sources are Sea-Intelligence's August data, showing 12.2% at Shanghai and 16.9% at Ningbo-Zhoushan. On the Pacific side, the Pacific Maritime Association has warned that other ILWU members are expected to honor picket lines if the Los Angeles-Long Beach watchmen walk out.

Core Executive Takeaways

• Share falling, not solvedThe drop from 50% to 37% suggests the summer queue is easing, but North Asia still leads every region.
• Reliability still thinShanghai at 12.2% and Ningbo-Zhoushan at 16.9% reliability leave little slack for another typhoon.
• Rates still firmCarrier November pricing and lingering Far East backlogs may keep freight costs elevated for Asia-linked shippers.

Strategic Playbook

1. 1
   Map gateway exposure

   Tag every North Asian booking by origin port, transshipment hub and cut-off date, and set the berth-wait level at which cargo moves to an alternate gateway.

2. 2
   Pre-book backup and warn customers

   Secure standby space and a rolled-cargo protocol for Shanghai and Ningbo lanes now, and tell time-sensitive customers which US gateways carry the watchmen risk.

Filed 15:26 GMT, 7 November 2026, for the second edition of 7 Nov.
As agents only.

Sources

1. Intra-Asia rates soften as congestion at major ports begins to easeThe Loadstar, published 22 October 2026
2. Union approves LA/Long Beach port strike; container rates still under pressure - October 28, 2026 UpdateFreightos, published 28 October 2026
3. Asia-US container rates hold as carriers seek $3,000 November rate hikesFreightWaves, published 4 November 2026
4. Only 12% of container ships berthed on time at Shanghai in AugustSeatrade Maritime, published 1 October 2026
5. Port strike delayed again at Los Angeles, Long Beach portsFreightWaves, published 5 November 2026

Claims ledger: 7 facts and where each comes from

• Linerlytica says North Asia accounted for 37% of global port congestion, still the highest of any region, down from 50% the previous month (week 41, reported 22 October 2026).¹
• Average vessel waiting time at Busan was 23 hours in week 41, down from 26 hours a week earlier; Singapore's fell to 34 hours from 50.¹
• Drewry's Intra-Asia Container Index dipped 3% to an average of $1,453 per 40ft on 15 October 2026.¹
• Freightos says most major Chinese container hubs are still not completely back to normal after earlier storm disruption (update of 28 October 2026).²
• FreightWaves says lingering backlogs in the Far East may be contributing to upward pressure on container rates (4 November 2026).³
• Sea-Intelligence reports schedule reliability of 12.2% at Shanghai and 16.9% at Ningbo-Zhoushan in August 2026.⁴
• The Pacific Maritime Association has warned that other ILWU members, including longshore workers and marine clerks, are expected to honor Local 26 picket lines in a strike (5 November 2026).⁵

Every figure above is tied to a cited source that was checked on the day of filing. Found an error? Tell the desk.