Freight disruptions that started in 2024
10 events started in 2024; none were ongoing at the end of 2024.
3 events share the top rating, severity 3 (Significant).
The most common type was labour action, 4 of the 10 events.
March, September and November had the most starts, 2 each.
9 of the 10 events have a computed measured effect in public data.
Of 3 measured falls that have recovered, the fastest was Hurricane Beryl closes the Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City ports at 6 days and the slowest Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports at 7 days, counted from the end of each measured window.
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
Key facts
- Events
- 10
- Ongoing now
- 0
- Most severe
- 3 (Significant)
- Median recovery (measured events)
- 6 days
Month by month in 2024
Events by the month they started. Months with events link to the list below the strip.
- Jan0 events in January 2024
- Feb0 events in February 2024
- Mar2 events in March 2024
- Apr0 events in April 2024
- May1 event in May 2024
- Jun0 events in June 2024
- Jul1 event in July 2024
- Aug1 event in August 2024
- Sep2 events in September 2024
- Oct1 event in October 2024
- Nov2 events in November 2024
- Dec0 events in December 2024
- March 2024: Gang violence halts container and oil terminals at Port-au-Prince; Ship strikes Key Bridge and closes the Baltimore ship channel
- May 2024: Container ships wait for berths at the Port of Singapore
- July 2024: Hurricane Beryl closes the Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City ports
- August 2024: CN and CPKC lock out rail workers and stop Canadian freight rail
- September 2024: Typhoon Yagi halts container handling at Hong Kong and Shenzhen terminals; Hurricane Helene closes the Port Tampa Bay and Port Manatee shipping channels
- October 2024: Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports
- November 2024: Lockout of ship and dock foremen stops British Columbia ports; Lockout of longshore workers closes Port of Montreal terminals
Biggest measured moves
One lead figure per event, the current primary measurement with the largest absolute standardised score, ranked by that score. 5 of 9 shown.
Typhoon Yagi halts container handling at Hong Kong and Shenzhen terminals · Weather stoppage, severity 2 (Moderate), started 2024-09-04 (4 September 2024)
Port calls, Hong Kong, 2024-09-04 (4 September 2024) to 2024-09-06 (6 September 2024): 18.0 calls per day against 38.8 expected (-53.6%, standardised score -3.3).
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports · Labour action, severity 2 (Moderate), started 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024)
Container ship port calls, New York-New Jersey, 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024) to 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024): 0.3 calls per day against 6.3 expected (-94.7%, standardised score -2.4).
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Hurricane Beryl closes the Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City ports · Weather stoppage, severity 2 (Moderate), started 2024-07-07 (7 July 2024)
Port calls, Houston, 2024-07-07 (7 July 2024) to 2024-07-11 (11 July 2024): 11.4 calls per day against 22.4 expected (-49.1%, standardised score -2.3).
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Ship strikes Key Bridge and closes the Baltimore ship channel · Collision or casualty, severity 3 (Significant), started 2024-03-26 (26 March 2024)
Port calls, Baltimore, 2024-03-26 (26 March 2024) to 2024-06-10 (10 June 2024): 2.1 calls per day against 5.5 expected (-61.5%, standardised score -1.5).
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Lockout of ship and dock foremen stops British Columbia ports · Labour action, severity 3 (Significant), started 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024)
Container ship port calls, Vancouver (CA), 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024) to 2024-11-14 (14 November 2024): 0.1 calls per day against 1.0 expected (-0.9, standardised score -0.9).
Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.
This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.
Carried over from earlier years
4 events that started before 2024 and were still in force during it.
- EU ban on seaborne Russian crude and the G7 price cap take effect, started 2022-12-05 (5 December 2022), still ongoing.
- Drought cuts draft and daily transits at the Panama Canal, started 2023-03-01 (1 March 2023), ended 2024-09-01 (1 September 2024).
- Vessel congestion at the Port of Durban container terminals, started 2023-10-01 (October 2023), ended 2024-01-01 (1 January 2024).
- Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea divert traffic around Africa, started 2023-11-19 (19 November 2023), still ongoing.
Ended in 2024
12 events with an end date in 2024, whichever year they started.
- Drought cuts draft and daily transits at the Panama Canal, started 2023-03-01 (1 March 2023), ended 2024-09-01 (1 September 2024).
- Vessel congestion at the Port of Durban container terminals, started 2023-10-01 (October 2023), ended 2024-01-01 (1 January 2024).
- Gang violence halts container and oil terminals at Port-au-Prince, started 2024-03-04 (week of 4 March 2024), ended 2024-05-03 (3 May 2024).
- Ship strikes Key Bridge and closes the Baltimore ship channel, started 2024-03-26 (26 March 2024), ended 2024-06-10 (10 June 2024).
- Container ships wait for berths at the Port of Singapore, started 2024-05-01 (May 2024), ended 2024-07-01 (1 July 2024).
- Hurricane Beryl closes the Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City ports, started 2024-07-07 (7 July 2024), ended 2024-07-11 (11 July 2024).
- CN and CPKC lock out rail workers and stop Canadian freight rail, started 2024-08-22 (22 August 2024), ended 2024-08-26 (26 August 2024).
- Typhoon Yagi halts container handling at Hong Kong and Shenzhen terminals, started 2024-09-04 (4 September 2024), ended 2024-09-06 (6 September 2024).
- Hurricane Helene closes the Port Tampa Bay and Port Manatee shipping channels, started 2024-09-25 (25 September 2024), ended 2024-09-29 (29 September 2024).
- Dockworkers strike halts US East and Gulf Coast container ports, started 2024-10-01 (1 October 2024), ended 2024-10-03 (3 October 2024).
- Lockout of ship and dock foremen stops British Columbia ports, started 2024-11-04 (4 November 2024), ended 2024-11-14 (14 November 2024).
- Lockout of longshore workers closes Port of Montreal terminals, started 2024-11-10 (10 November 2024), ended 2024-11-16 (16 November 2024).
By severity
| Severity | Events |
|---|---|
| 3 Significant | 3 |
| 2 Moderate | 7 |
By type
| Type | Events |
|---|---|
| Labour action | 4 |
| Weather stoppage | 3 |
| Congestion episode | 1 |
| Collision or casualty | 1 |
| Terminal closure | 1 |
3 of 3 measured falls from 2024 had recovered by the last day of data in this build. Recovery time for every event.