While there were some difficulties with this week’s port operations, some significant advancements were made. The National Election affected operations, in addition to different weather patterns and mechanical malfunctions. Later in the week, operational challenges were posed by heavy fog and wind in Cape Town, while continued dredging and equipment malfunctions in Durban were the main causes of delays. Furthermore, the Eastern Cape Ports experienced operational delays as a result of vessel scheduling. Container inspections at the Durban Port were disrupted by the KZN Border Police’s Durban SAPS Office closing because of the national election. In order to lessen the number of cancellations, the MPT Point Planning Department of the Durban Terminal will begin enforcing a new policy on June 1, 2024, which states that ID100 with dual nominations for breakbulk vessels intending to work at either C-Berth or another Private Terminal will no longer be accepted.
Key Notes:
- An average of ~8 244 containers was handled per day, with ~8 176 containers projected for next week.
- Cross-border queue: ↓0,1 hrs; transit: ↓0,1 hrs; SA borders: 8,4 hrs (↑20%); SADC borders: 1,5 hrs (↑100%).
- Rail cargo handled out of Durban was reported at 3 105 containers, up ↑7% from last week.
- SARS trade stats for April: exports are up by ↑4,4% (m/m), imports ↑3,8%, trade surplus of R10,5 billion.
- Schedule reliability is down by ↓2,5% (m/m) and ↓12,1% (y/y). Late arrivals are at 4,74 days.
- Global freight rates continued to increase – this week by ↑3,8% (or $154) to $4 226 per 40-ft container.
- Global air cargo realised a slight ↓2% decrease in global tonnages, as rates are trading around $2,50/kg.
Port operations – General:
- This week’s port operations experienced some challenges, but there were some noteworthy developments.
- Operations were influenced by the National Election, with various weather conditions and equipment issues also playing a role.
- In Cape Town, dense fog and strong winds presented operational hurdles later in the week, while in Durban, ongoing dredging and equipment failures were the primary sources of delays.
- Additionally, vessel scheduling led to operational slowdowns at the Eastern Cape Ports.
- The closure of the KZN Border Police’s Durban SAPS Office due to the National Election impacted container inspections at the Durban Port.
- Looking ahead, starting June 1, 2024, the Durban Terminal’s MPT Point Planning Department will implement a new policy where ID100 with dual nominations for breakbulk vessels intending to work at either C-Berth or another Private Terminal will no longer be accepted, a decision aimed at reducing the frequency of cancellations.