SINGAPORE's Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and terminal operator PSA, is actively addressing container shipping congestion.

They have outlined measures in response to recent reports of congestion and vessel clustering caused by diversions in the Red Sea, which are impacting carrier schedules.

Linerlytica, a Hong Kong-based market intelligence firm, issued warnings this week noting significant port congestion in Asia, with Singapore notably affected.

They reported a queue of up to 450,000 TEU in Singapore, with containerships often forced to anchor at distant locations due to insufficient berth availability.

According to Linerlytica, wait times for berths in Singapore can stretch up to seven days in some instances.

The MPA emphasised that container volumes have surged by 8.8 per cent in 2024, reaching 13.36 million TEU in the first four months alone.

They attributed this increase partly to several container lines choosing to discharge more containers in Singapore, foregoing some port calls to adhere to schedules.

Furthermore, ships are utilising Singapore's facilities for efficient container stowage management, aiding handling at subsequent ports.

The MPA also noted an uptick in the number of containers handled per vessel.