Worldwide shipping delays have been making the news for some time. Unfortunately, Elenteny Imports is not immune to the impact of supply chain challenges: we’re seeing unprecedented delays at all ports.
We’ve put together an FAQ to help you understand what’s going on with the global shipping delays. You’ll also find a visual illustration of the data below the FAQ, and you can take a detailed look at shipment times, sorted by year, country, and destination.
FAQ on Shipping Delays:
What’s causing delays?
- Shortages of shipping containers, particularly reefer containers. This leaves planned shipments without any containers to use.
- Port congestion in Europe. Vessels must sometimes wait days outside of a port for a berth to be available. Some vessels skip their European port calls altogether if they are unable to book a berth in a reasonable time.
- Port congestion in the U.S. High congestion contributes to missed and pushed-out ETAs. Vessels may delay sailing from Europe, or may be anchored out at a US port for days or weeks awaiting a berth once they arrive here.
How long are vessels waiting to anchor?
Up to a week on the East Coast, and 1 week to a month or more on the West Coast, depending on port.
What does this mean for my shipment?
When vessels can’t berth and unload, importers face delays of 1 – 3 weeks on East Coast shipments and 1 week – 2 months on West Coast shipments.
Why am I not getting alerted about each delay?
Because ETAs are being pushed out so frequently on almost all of our vessels, we can no longer send out individual delay alerts as we have in the past.
Concerned about the status of your shipment? Please keep an eye on your Globe Open PO report or reach out to support@elentenyimports.com.
Shipping Data at a glance: Reliability data by Year
Reliability schedule, by month, by year.
