Waiting times for vessels at Chinese ports have climbed to their highest level this year, as retaliatory fee measures between China and the United States compound congestion in the commodity trade. According to ship-tracking data, the average delay before berth for commodity vessels reached approximately 2.66 days in the week to 19 October, marking a jump of roughly 17 % from the previous week.

The backlog reflects growing strain on the world’s largest commodity-importing nation, where prolonged vessel queues carry implications for global supply chains — affecting crude oil, iron ore and other bulk cargos. Sources say the delays are being exacerbated by China’s newly announced fee of 400 yuan per net ton for vessels with U.S. ties, a direct response to the U.S. maritime levies on Chinese-related ships.

At the port of Dongjiakou, vessels were waiting on average 2.79 days; at Yantai, the figure rose from about 1.8 days previously to 2.7 days. Freight analysts note that the uncertainty around which ships face the new measures is prompting owners to hold vessels offshore until the situation clears.