Storms have repeatedly disrupted China’s ports and shipping lanes this season, according to Expana’s August Weather report. Geopolitical tensions and chokepoint restrictions are also piling onto global ocean freight.
Figure 1. Approximate storm tracks and impact zones of storms that made landfall in China during July and August 2026, along with major Chinese ports. This includes Typhoon Dolphin (Category 5), Typhoon Bavi (Category 5), Typhoon Saudel (Category 4), and Typhoon Noul (Category 1, on the Saffir-Simpson scale).
In August, Typhoons Dolphin and Saudel made landfall in eastern China near Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan, the nation’s largest ports. In July, Typhoon Bavi struck the same region. Typhoon Noul and Tropical Storm Narra also made landfall along China’s southern coast.
The storms interrupted shipping lanes and forced port operations to suspend multiple times. Carriers struggled to clear backlogs before the next storm hit, according to market sources. Industry reports suggested up to 90 vessels waited more than a week for a slot at Shanghai.
The typhoon season continues through November, and El Niño could increase the risk of storms tracking toward China’s east coast, according to Expana’s weather report.
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Panama Canal restrictions linked to El Niño-driven drought and low water levels on rivers such as the Rhine in Europe are also affecting ocean freight and adding pressure to Asian routes. Intra-Asia rates have hit record highs in recent weeks ahead of China’s Golden Week holiday on Oct. 1.
Although Asia-Europe container rates have stayed on a downward trend as demand softened, they remain elevated because congestion is slowing the pace of declines. Some major carriers have signaled plans to resume Suez Canal transits to shorten voyages and cut bunker fuel costs. Red Sea transits have also been gradually increasing, which market sources said could add downward pressure to Asia-Europe prices.
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Written by Thess Mostoles, Laura Robb, Craig Elliott and James Tyler
