Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat informed parliament in his recent written response that around 90% of container vessels are arriving off-schedule in Singapore due to the Red Sea crisis, contrasting with approximately 77% in 2023.
The crisis in the Red Sea has compelled ships to take longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope between Europe and Asia. Consequently, ports globally are witnessing an increase in off-schedule arrivals, as highlighted by Chee in his statement.
As explained, Singapore serves as a crucial transhipment hub for shipping lines to reorganize containers and streamline operations. These adjustments have prolonged the duration that container ships remain in port and escalated waiting times for incoming vessels, leading to congestion at container terminals, the minister noted.
Moreover, many vessels are arriving within a condensed timeframe, exacerbating the issue by causing a clustering effect, Chee added.
To address these challenges, port management authorities have reactivated additional berths and yard space, with plans to further expand handling capacity in the coming months to manage anticipated demand.
During the period from January to May this year, container throughput in Singapore rose by 7.7 percent to 16.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
