Long queues of 570 dry bulk ships waiting to load and unload near Chinese ports, highest level in 7 years

The past two weeks have seen an explosion in the number of dry bulk vessels anchored near Chinese ports due to port congestion and the implementation of the covid-19 prevention and control measures.

Anchorage waiting situation for bulk carriers at the Yangtze River mouth

AIS data obtained by dry bulk operator Lauritzens Bulkers shows that 7.5% of the world's small dry bulk carriers, including Handysize and Supramax dry bulk carriers, are currently moored near Chinese ports.

This represents a 37% increase in the number of dry bulk vessels berthed in just 10 days, which equates to about 570 dry bulk vessels waiting to unload in Chinese ports. Two weeks ago, there were about 400 vessels in the queue. The global fleet of Handysize and Ultra Handysize dry bulk carriers totals 7,725 vessels.

The situation of bulk carrier waiting at anchor in the sea near Ningbo Zhoushan Port

Oceanbolt, a data-driven technology company that analyzes and monitors trends in the dry bulk market, also confirmed the congestion trends in Chinese ports, the pressure on ports and the growing number of dry bulk vessels near the ports.

"We have seen a significant increase in the overall accumulation level of dry bulk vessels in Chinese waters, which is the highest it has been in seven years. The impact on handysize dry bulk carriers has been particularly pronounced, with the number of handysize bulk carriers up 31% in the last two weeks and 64% so far this year." Oceanbolt co-founder Niclas Dæhli Priess said.

The number of ultra handysize dry bulk carriers has also reached its highest level in seven years, with 313 ultra handysize bulk carriers currently waiting to berth near Chinese ports, representing a 35 percent increase so far this year, according to Oceanbolt.

According to data extracted by Oceanbolt, a total of 548 ultra-portable and handysize bulk carriers are currently awaiting berthing near Chinese ports, thus confirming the above figures provided by dry bulk operator Lauritzen Bulkers.

Logistics firm Kuehne+Nagel's instant data shows that 353 cargo ships are currently stuck in ports around the world, more than twice as many as earlier this year.

Logistics problems will also be one of the top issues affecting the import and export trade of chemicals in the second half of this year!