Far East Shipping Faces Further Disruption From Weather

Shipping networks across the Far East are facing another period of disruption after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in China’s Zhejiang province yesterday.

Port operations in parts of eastern China have been temporarily suspended or restricted, while hundreds of flights have also been cancelled around Shanghai and Ningbo. With further heavy rain forecast, disruption to transport and logistics operations is likely to continue over the coming days.

Typhoon Dolphin is the latest in a series of severe storms to affect the region during 2026. Earlier systems, including Typhoon Maysak and Super Typhoon Bavi, have already caused widespread delays and added pressure to supply chains that were dealing with high cargo volumes and congestion.

Bavi’s impact during July contributed to vessel backlogs and cargo build-ups, with shipping schedules taking time to recover. This coincided with the busy Asia peak season, leaving a number of major ports under sustained pressure.

Delays of several days have become increasingly common, particularly at key gateways including Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Shekou and Nansha.

When ports are already operating under pressure, further weather disruption can quickly create additional problems across the wider supply chain. Vessel schedules can be pushed back, bookings may be rolled to later sailings and shortages of equipment can become more difficult to manage.

Typhoon Dolphin therefore has the potential to extend existing delays and create further uncertainty for Far East freight movements.

Croft Cargo is monitoring developments closely with our overseas partners and will keep customers updated where shipments may be affected.

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