Once more, bad weather, all too frequent equipment failures and shortages, load shedding, long-service awards, roadshows, and congestion interfered with normal port operations. The Port of Cape Town has largely cleared its backlogs, with ships now berthing as soon as they arrive when the weather permits. The “long-service awards” ceremony at the Port of Durban on Wednesday caused a delay in port operations. This week, only two cranes were operational, which raised concerns throughout the industry about the crane situation at Pier 2. On Wednesday, while a tug and a crane at the Port of East London were out of service, roadshows were organized and carried out throughout all shifts. This week saw several instances of cable theft, with numerous ConCor line segments experiencing the most prominent occurrences. Last but not least, DCTs Pier 1 will begin operations on Monday, May 1, 2023, while Pier 2 is still looking for volunteers to help with terminal operations.
Key Notes:
- An average of ~8 088 containers was handled per day, with ~9 514 containers projected for next week.
- Rail cargo handled out of Durban amounted to 2 315 containers, ↓9% compared to last week.
“Land Transport Survey” for February show that the payload increased by ↑7,7% (y/y). Road/Rail at 85/15. - Cross-border queue times were ↑0,1 hours, with transit times ↑1,6 hours, SA borders ~11,7 hours (↑30%).
- Global container throughput dropped by a significant ↑1,2% in February (against a predicted ↓5,6%).
- Global container freight rates per the “WCI” have fallen by ↓2% (or $34) to $1 740 per 40 ft.
- Global air cargo tonnages decreased by ↓5%, and average worldwide rates decreased by ↓3%.
Port operations – General:
- Again, smooth port operations were hampered due to adverse weather, all-too-frequent equipment breakdowns and shortages, load-shedding, long-service awards, roadshows, and congestion.
- Backlogs at the Port of Cape Town have primarily been cleared, with vessels berthing upon arrival when the weather allows it.
- The Port of Durban hosted its “long-service awards” on Wednesday, which delayed operations at the port. At the same time, the crane situation at Pier 2 again created concerns across the industry this week as only two cranes were operational.
- On Wednesday, roadshows were planned and executed across all shifts while a tug and a crane at the Port of East London went out of commission.
- Cable theft incidents continued this week, with the most notable incidents occurring on several sections of the ConCor line.
- Finally, DCTs Pier 1 will be operational on Monday, 01 May 2023, while Pier 2 is still seeking volunteers to assist with operations at the terminal.