Urgent news report

Friday 21st August, 2026

In this news report:

Freight Update: Delays across Sydney Air Terminal, Shanghai and Ningbo Ports, and changes regarding the Red Sea and Suez Canal

There are multiple disruptions currently affecting freight movements: ongoing delays at the Qantas Freight Sydney terminal, significant port congestion at Shanghai and Ningbo, and evolving vessel routing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

What's happening:

• Airfreight (Sydney): Qantas Freight is experiencing delays due to temporary operational issues at its Kingsford Smith (Sydney) freight terminal, impacting import freight movements.

  • FTA/APSA continue to engage with Qantas Freight to better understand the nature of the delays and any anticipated timelines for resolution.
    
    

• Ocean freight (Shanghai): Anchoring wait times of 5–10 days. It usually takes 2 days between berthing and departure.

  • Waigaoqiao and Yangshan Terminals I and III: 5–7 days
  • Yangshan Terminal IV: 7–10 days
  • A number of carriers are choosing to omit Shanghai calls altogether, shifting space allocation to Ningbo instead.
  • Delay times for more trade lanes out of Shanghai:
    • Noram: 5-7 days
    • Latam: 7-10 days
    • Europe: 5-7 days
    • ME & Africa: 4-6 days
    • Asia: 4-6 days
    • Oceania: 6-7 days
      
      
• Ocean freight (Ningbo): Anchoring wait times of 3–5 days.
  • Terminal IV, Daxie and Meishan: 5 days
  • Terminals II and III: 3 days
  • Delay times for more trade lanes out of Ningbo:
    • Noram: 3-5 days
    • Latam: 3-5 days
    • Europe: 3-5 days
    • ME & Africa: 3-5 days
    • Asia: 3 days
    • Oceania: 5 days

• Red Sea & Suez Canal: Major shipping lines including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM have begun cautiously reintroducing selected services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. While this may lead to shorter transit times on some trade lanes, routing decisions remain fluid due to ongoing security risks in the region.

What this means for you:

Import shipments moving through Sydney air freight can expect ongoing delays until Qantas restores normal terminal operations. Anything shipping to Australia out of Shanghai or Ningbo — FCL or LCL — faces significant delays and a heightened risk of rollovers while vessels queue for berths.

Separately, vessel routings may switch between the Suez Canal and the Cape of Good Hope with limited notice, and additional war-risk insurance requirements or carrier surcharges may apply.

Our advice:

• Click here to stay up to date with all the latest from Qantas Freight.
• For China-origin ocean freight, build in extra transit time and expect possible rollovers on Shanghai/Ningbo–Oceania sailings.
• Talk to our team about alternative routing or consolidation options to minimise impact.
• Stockwells will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as carrier networks evolve.

Stockwells is here 24/7 to help you navigate these changes and keep your supply chain moving. Please reach out to your customer service representative for support. 

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