According to DHL's
in-house supply chain analysis consultancy, Resilience360, the effects of two
back-to-back typhoons are adding to congestion at the South Korean ports of
Busan and Gwangyang.
Typhoon Haishen made
landfall northeast of Busan on September 7 with winds of 85 miles per hour, the
equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane. No fatalities were reported in South
Korea, but the storm's winds and flooding caused extensive damage.
On September 3, Typhoon
Maysak made landfall just southwest of Busan with winds of 100 miles per hour.
At least one person was killed in the storm and 2,000 were forced to evacuate.
In addition to damage on
shore, the storms disrupted shipping and forced temporary closures at Busan and
Gwangyang. The two container ports had increased waiting times for inbound
vessels following Typhon Maysak, and the consultancy expected that waits could
rise after Haishen as well. In China, the ports of Shanghai and Ningbo were
also affected by temporary closures, likely increasing congestion.
"Over the coming
days, while most of the affected manufacturing plants may come back online,
logistics delays are likely to continue for longer at key ports in South Korea
and China where it may take up to two weeks to return to normal operations [if]
the weather remains stable," the consultancy wrote.
The delays come as
importers in the U.S. and Europe are gearing up for the holiday season and
restocking after the COVID-19 shutdown. Import volumes in the United States
have skyrocketed in the past two months, outpacing expectations for recovery.