Logistics
Maersk sharply raises China/Hong Kong → Dar es Salaam peak season surcharge
Maersk revised its Peak Season Surcharge from China and Hong Kong to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. From 1 August 2026 the surcharge is US$1,200 per 20-foot container and US$1,800 per 40-foot and 45-foot container. The change is part of a broader run of Maersk PSS revisions across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North America with effective dates on 22 July, 1 August and 15 August 2026.
ITG interpretation: The China→Tanzania lane just became materially more expensive per box, which erodes margins on price-sensitive goods and strengthens the case for consolidation or shifting some East Africa volume through Mombasa. Surcharge levels this high signal carriers expect tight capacity into Q4.
Sources: Container News
Logistics
Durban and West African ports remain congested; Cape Town stabilises
Per Kuehne+Nagel's 12–18 August 2026 port update, Durban remains under significant pressure, particularly at Pier 2 (DGT) where delays of 5–9 days persist due to congestion, NAVIS system implementation and increased waterside waiting times. Guinea Conakry's 7-day average vessel waiting time was around 19.0 days due to limited dry, reefer and empty container storage capacity, while Ghana Tema showed severe terminal congestion (around 6.83 days) amid a crane outage and restricted berth availability. Cape Town operations stabilised with waiting times of 0 days, though elevated citrus and reefer export volumes continue to pressure yard capacity and cause occasional rollovers.
ITG interpretation: Persistent Durban and West African congestion raises the effective transit-time risk and rollover probability for both China→Africa and Türkiye→Africa boxes, especially reefer and hazardous cargo. Conakry's ~19-day wait makes it a lane to avoid or heavily buffer for time-sensitive procurement.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel – Port operational updates (12–18 August 2026)
LogisticsHigh urgency
Durban port congestion persists with 5–9 day delays at Pier 2 amid NAVIS rollout
As of the 12–18 August 2026 reporting week, Durban's Pier 2 (DGT) continued to experience delays of 5–9 days driven by congestion, NAVIS system implementation and increased waterside waiting times, with 7-day average vessel waiting around 4.25 days and anchorage delays of 80–166 hours. Mombasa waiting times had eased to about 1.63 days but equipment shortages, high transhipment volumes and vessel bunching still impacted productivity. Beira in Mozambique showed a 7-day average vessel waiting time of about 16.11 days, with recovery expected later in the year.
ITG interpretation: South African routings for Türkiye/China cargo into the Gauteng industrial hinterland remain exposed to multi-day berthing delays and rollover risk, while Beira should be avoided for time-sensitive shipments; Mombasa is the relatively healthier East African gateway right now.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Updates (12–18 Aug 2026)
LogisticsHigh urgency
West and Southern African ports under heavy congestion; Conakry and Durban worst-hit
Kuehne+Nagel's port update for 12–18 August 2026 reports Guinea Conakry average vessel waiting at around 19 days due to limited dry, reefer and empty container storage capacity, while Durban remains under significant pressure with 5–9 day delays at Pier 2 amid congestion, a NAVIS system implementation and increased waterside waiting. Ghana Tema showed roughly 6.83 days average waiting with severe terminal congestion, a crane outage and restricted berth availability. Nigeria Tin Can/Lagos and Ivory Coast Abidjan continued to face delays from inland logistics and congestion challenges.
ITG interpretation: Sustained double-digit waiting times at Conakry and unreliable Durban/Tema windows raise the risk of missed connections, demurrage and rollovers for ITG cargo, especially reefer and dry boxes needing scarce storage. Routing flexibility toward less-congested alternatives becomes commercially valuable.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel – Port operational updates (12–18 August 2026)
LogisticsHigh urgency
West African ports (Tema, Conakry, Abidjan) stay severely congested in mid-August; carriers omitting calls
Kuehne+Nagel's weekly update for 12–18 August 2026 reports Ghana's Tema at a 7-day average vessel wait of about 6.83 days with severe terminal congestion from a crane outage and restricted berth availability. Guinea Conakry averaged around 19.0 days of waiting due to limited dry, reefer and empty container storage. Côte d'Ivoire's Abidjan saw waits of around 5.25 days with delays of roughly 8 days, and carriers are omitting selected port calls, increasing rollover risks and transit-time variability.
ITG interpretation: For ITG's China→West Africa and Türkiye→West Africa flows, effective transit times and demurrage exposure remain elevated regardless of headline ocean rates, and omitted calls make schedule reliability the real bottleneck. Booking buffers and alternative gateway planning are now more valuable than marginal rate savings.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel – Port operational updates (12–18 August 2026)
Logistics
Mombasa and Dar es Salaam remain equipment-short with structural congestion in mid-August
Kuehne+Nagel's 12–18 August 2026 update lists Kenya's Mombasa at a 7-day average vessel wait of about 1.63 days but notes congestion as a long-term challenge, with equipment shortages, high transshipment volumes and vessel bunching continuing to impact productivity and inland movements. Mozambique's Beira showed a much higher wait of about 16.11 days, with terminal recovery expected later in the year and adverse weather a further risk.
ITG interpretation: For East Africa gateways serving landlocked destinations, container equipment availability and inland movement—not berth waits—are the binding constraints on ITG's delivery timelines. Beira should be treated as high-risk for any Southern African routing in the near term.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel – Port operational updates (12–18 August 2026)
Logistics
Durban under pressure at Pier 2 while Mombasa waits ease; Cape Town stabilizes
In the 12–18 August 2026 update, Durban's 7-day average vessel waiting time was around 4.25 days, with Pier 2 (DGT) delays of 5–9 days persisting due to congestion, a NAVIS system implementation and increased waterside waiting; anchorage delays ranged from 80 to 166 hours. Mombasa's average waiting time eased to about 1.63 days though congestion remains a long-term challenge from equipment shortages and transhipment volumes, while Cape Town operations stabilized to 0–3 day delays.
ITG interpretation: East Africa (Mombasa) has become more workable in the near term, but Durban's Pier 2 remains a bottleneck for containerized imports into South Africa, so schedule buffers and pier-level routing matter for both China and Türkiye lanes.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Updates (12–18 Aug 2026)
Logistics
Asia–Africa capacity expanding but effective capacity stays tight through 2026, per DHL data cited
A trade-press analysis citing DHL's August data reports that major carriers hold large orderbooks—MSC at 33% of its current fleet, CMA CGM at 40% and COSCO at 45%—but notes much of this capacity will arrive too late to relieve current bottlenecks, with impact largely felt from 2027 onwards. Strong Asian export demand, vessel rerouting, port congestion and carrier capacity controls are described as keeping effective capacity under pressure on African lanes.
ITG interpretation: ITG should not assume near-term rate relief on China→Africa lanes; the capacity that matters for 2026 procurement budgets is what is effectively available, not what is on order. Longer-term (2027) contract planning can factor in easing, but H2 2026 should be budgeted for continued tightness.
Sources: The Africa Logistics – Container Shipping Outlook
LogisticsHigh urgency
Beira (Mozambique) congestion persists with ~16-day vessel waits into late August
As of the 12–18 August 2026 port update, Beira's 7-day average vessel waiting time was around 16.11 days, with terminal recovery expected later in the year and adverse weather potentially adding further disruption. The prior week's update (5–11 August) reported delays of up to 30 days and did not expect recovery before weeks 40–43.
ITG interpretation: Beira is effectively a chokepoint for Southern/Central African inland cargo through the Beira corridor, so any ITG shipments routed there face major dwell, demurrage and reliability risk well into Q4.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Updates (12–18 Aug 2026) · Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Updates (5–11 Aug 2026)
Logistics
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd expand Gemini network return to the Suez Canal and Red Sea
On 10 August 2026, Reuters reported that Maersk said another container service in its Gemini network with Hapag-Lloyd will resume sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, part of a gradual return to the area. This follows an early-July resumption of an Asia–Mediterranean–Europe service and a Middle East-to-US East Coast route via Suez. The affected AE19 service connects Asia with the Mediterranean, Saudi Arabia and Europe, with a rotation including Chinese ports (Xingang, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai), Jeddah, the Suez Canal, Port Said and Tangier.
ITG interpretation: A staged Suez return should shorten Asia–Mediterranean transit times and eventually ease the capacity absorbed by Cape of Good Hope routings, which over time could soften rates and improve schedule reliability relevant to China→North/West Africa and Türkiye's Mediterranean-linked flows. However, the return is selective and security-dependent, so ITG should not yet assume normalized transits.
Sources: Reuters via Global Banking & Finance – Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd resume more Suez sailings · FreshFruitPortal – Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd reroute AE19 back through Red Sea
LogisticsHigh urgency
CMA CGM adds West Africa reefer and Tema congestion surcharges from late August/September
CMA CGM announced new surcharges covering West Africa reefers, Tema congestion and other trades effective from August and September 2026, citing reduced capacity, congestion and longer terminal dwell times raising operational costs. For reefer cargo from origins other than a specified Mediterranean/Black Sea/North Africa group, the surcharge is US$400 per TEU (the specified group is €100/US$115 per TEU). For imports the measure takes effect 24 August based on discharge date, and for exports from 1 September based on loading date.
ITG interpretation: Reefer and West Africa flows out of both Türkiye/Mediterranean and Asian origins will see higher landed costs into Q3, compounding an already congested West African port environment. ITG should treat quoted freight as provisional and confirm surcharge applicability at booking.
Sources: Container News – CMA CGM announces new surcharges