By: Andrew Johnson, Import Operations Manager, CCS, WorldBridge Logistics Inc.

This is an update on Typhoon Saudel and its impact on East China container operations. As of Thursday, August 27, 2026, Saudel is a meaningful risk to the network, particularly as Shanghai and Ningbo continue to recover from earlier typhoons.

The Hong Kong Observatory currently forecasts movement toward the Zhejiang–Fujian coast, with landfall around August 27–28. The storm may weaken before landfall, but wind restrictions and terminal suspensions are already affecting operations.

Ports of concern

• Ningbo-Zhoushan — High. Primary risk. Empty-container operations were suspended from 16:00 on August 26, with all terminal operations scheduled to stop at 20:00. Expect bunching, gate restrictions, missed cutoffs, rollovers, possible omissions, and several days of recovery after reopening.

• Shanghai (Yangshan and Waigaoqiao) — Medium to high. Still open as of late August 26, but stronger winds are expected from Thursday midday. A full closure is not certain on the current track; pilotage limits, berth delays, barge and trucking disruption, and equipment issues remain likely. A northward shift would raise shutdown risk.

• Taizhou and Wenzhou — High. Some barge operations already suspended.

• Xiamen and Fuzhou — Medium to high. In or near the landfall corridor; suspensions and trucking or vessel delays are possible.

• Yantian, Shekou, and Nansha/Guangzhou — Low. Currently outside the primary impact zone.

Why this event is more than a brief closure

Shanghai and Ningbo are already congested from prior storms. Further shutdowns can compound quickly into omitted calls, rolled cargo, bunched arrivals, equipment imbalance, and extended schedule recovery. Carriers may not issue public advisories immediately; operational measures often begin at the vessel and terminal level. Port omissions, delayed sailings, rollovers, alternative discharge, or blank sailings are possible.

Asia–U.S. services calling Shanghai and Ningbo were already capacity constrained. Additional disruption may tighten space and reduce schedule reliability.

Planning guidance

For cargo scheduled through Ningbo or Shanghai from August 26 to September 3, plan for these potential impacts, on top of delays from earlier storms:

Event — Potential additional delay

• Physical port closure — 1–2 days
• Vessel waiting / berthing — 2–5 days
• Cargo rollover — 3–7 days
• Schedule recovery — 3–7+ days
• Typical shipment impact — 5–10 days
• Severe congestion — 10–14+ days

Some prior Shanghai/Ningbo disruptions have produced delays of 7–21 days. Results will vary by carrier, vessel, and terminal.

Please contact your V. Alexander account team with any questions, and you can always follow us on our website www.valexander.com for updates on this and other topics.