Savannah most congested port: Beacon

Savannah on the U.S. East Coast has emerged as the most congested port, with container ships waiting an average of 91.6 hours.

"Sub-Saharan Africa leads in overall congestion while East Asia demonstrates the best operational efficiency," according to the latest report from Beacon, a supply chain visibility and collaboration platform.

The sub-Saharan region also led in the container dwell time sweepstakes followed by South America and even the most advanced ports in East Asia with container dwell days averaging between 11 days at the top and five days between these regions. Ports in Oceania were the best performing in this area, the report added.

Beacon’s February 2025 Port Congestion & Performance Report says port congestion continues to pose significant challenges to global trade, with supply chains facing delays due to increasing ship turnaround times and extended container dwell periods.

Key findings from the report:

* Hong Kong recorded the highest number of ships waiting at anchor while Melbourne, Ambarli and Visakhapatnam had zero.

* Ports in Oceania recorded the best performance in container dwell times while sub-Saharan Africa faced the longest delays.

*Despite global challenges, ports such as London Gateway, King Abdullah, and Los Angeles demonstrated strong resilience with minimal congestion; and

*Key Asian ports like Shanghai, Gwangyang and King Abdullah maintain some of the fastest ship turnaround times.

Fraser Robinson, CEO, Beacon says: "Port congestion is a persistent challenge that affects businesses worldwide. Our report provides critical insights to help supply chain professionals make informed decisions and minimise disruptions. With some ports facing significant backlogs while others maintain high efficiency, it’s essential for logistics providers and shippers to stay ahead of these trends."

With the current schedule reliability at a low and disruptions at almost every corner, understanding metrics can help avoid costly delays, the update added.