由 lltx1822 From Terminal Yards to Open Sea Anchorages: A Panoramic Scan of Hong Kong’s Port Congestion
At the end of 2025, the radio channels of Hong Kong’s waters were continuously occupied by vessel distress signals. In the open sea anchorages 30 nautical miles from Victoria Harbour, over twenty ultra-large container vessels formed a winding “maritime queue,” with the longest waiting time for berthing already reaching seven days. Within the yards of the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, containers were stacked to their eight-tier limit, their red and blue blocks densely packed like a maze, while cross-border trucks queued in a five-kilometer-long line at the entrance. Barges in the mid-stream operation areas struggled to maneuver in narrow waters, with the backlog of containers due to unloading delays surging 60% compared to the previous month. This all-encompassing congestion, spreading from land yards to open sea anchorages, is not a chance failure of a single link but a systemic crisis reflecting Hong Kong port’s “saturated space capacity, fractured process connections, and imbalanced resource allocation.” As the core hub connecting the Asia-Pacific manufacturing hinterland with global markets, every congested inch of Hong Kong’s port amplifies the fragility of the global supply chain. Its impact transmits layer by layer along the “anchorage – terminal – yard – hinterland” chain, composing a worrying panoramic picture of congestion.
I. The Yard Dilemma: The “Land Maze” Filled with Containers
The yards of the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals represent the “first checkpoint” of Hong Kong’s port congestion and the most concentrated spatial manifestation of the矛盾. This approximately 279-hectare land area bears the core function of cargo turnover for the world’s fourth-largest container port, yet fell into a triple困境 of “no space to stack, inability to move, and difficulty in pickup” by the end of 2025.
During peak season, the yards resembled a filled “multi-story car park.” In December 2025, the daily average container storage reached 180,000 TEUs, with storage density突破 640 TEUs per hectare, far exceeding the reasonable threshold of 500 TEUs per hectare. More severe was the失衡 in storage structure: the proportion of empty containers soared from a normal 25% to 40%. Numerous empty containers occupied prime storage space, while urgently needed laden containers for transshipment were squeezed into temporary storage areas, leading to a surge in rehandling rates. Operational data from Hongkong International Terminals (HIT) showed that by the end of 2025, the average number of rehandles for laden containers reached 2.3 times, an increase of 1.1 times compared to the same period in 2024. The time taken per container for rehandling extended to 45 minutes, directly causing a 30% drop in quay crane productivity. A yard manager revealed: “Finding a specific container now is like looking for a book without an index in a library. Sometimes we have to search through half the yard, and the quay crane just waits idle.”
Behind the storage pressure lies the supply-demand imbalance between “difficult pickup” and “booming arrivals.” By the end of 2025, the average container dwell time at Hong Kong ports extended to 4.2 days, an increase of 1.8 days from normal periods, with over 30% of laden containers dwelling for more than 7 days. On one hand, cross-border truck pickup efficiency was low: the three main entrances to Kwai Tsing terminals experienced average daily congestion exceeding 2 hours. The average time for trucks from entering the port area to picking up containers and departing reached 3.5 hours, an increase of 1.2 hours from 2024. On the other hand, the集中爆发 of cargo flow exceeded the yard’s承载极限. In December 2025, weekly container arrivals突破 1 million TEUs, far surpassing the yard’s designed weekly handling capacity of 800,000 TEUs. More notably, some shippers pre-positioned empty containers to secure space, further挤占 limited resources, causing the empty container storage area to increase by 28% compared to the previous month, exacerbating yard congestion.
Fee disputes and operational model flaws further放大 the yard dilemma. The voucher sales model and designated electronic payment system promoted by the Hong Kong Mid-stream Operators Association imposed additional costs and inconvenience on shippers, even sparking disputes between consignees and shipping lines over terminal handling charges (THC). Such operational friction caused delays in some货物提离流程. By the end of 2025, containers滞留 due to fee disputes accounted for 5%, further加重 yard turnaround pressure. Simultaneously,滞后 yard automation levels constrained efficiency gains: automated stacking crane coverage was less than 20%, still relying on manual scheduling,极易 leading to dispatch errors during peak hours and加剧局部区域拥堵.
II. Mid-stream Blockage: The “Barge Siege” in Narrow Waters
The mid-stream operation area, a unique transport环节 of Hong Kong’s port handling about 3.3 million TEUs annually, became the “second checkpoint” of congestion by the end of 2025. These operation areas distributed across Victoria Harbour and nearby waters, with their limited pier lengths and狭窄水域, turned into a “choke point” for cargo transshipment.
During the cargo flow peak in the first week of December 2025, the maximum vessel waiting time for berthing in mid-stream areas reached 36 hours, an increase of 24 hours from normal periods. The number of river vessels and barges锚泊 around the operation areas surged 50% compared to the previous month. Lacking a unified dispatch coordination mechanism, barge arrival times were highly concentrated, while the仅有的 12 mid-stream berths couldn’t meet demand, causing numerous barges to drift and wait in the waters. A river vessel captain disclosed: “Now, coming to the mid-stream area to unload requires booking three days in advance, and even after arriving, you have to queue. Sometimes you watch the terminal right in front of you but have to wait a whole day to berth.”
Low handling efficiency and poor connectivity加剧 mid-stream congestion. Handling equipment in mid-stream areas mostly consists of small quay cranes, with single-container handling效率仅为 60% of the main quay cranes at Kwai Tsing terminals. Moreover, equipment严重老化, with the failure rate by end-2025 increasing 35% year-on-year. More critically, a “time差” exists in the衔接 between mid-stream operations and terminal yards: cargo unloaded from barges needs transshipment to Kwai Tsing terminal yards, but the跨境拖车运输瓶颈 caused货物 to be “unloaded but not moved away.” By end-2025, the average delay for barge transshipment from mid-stream areas to Kwai Tsing terminals reached 8 hours, with some cargo滞留 on barges for over 24 hours. This断裂 in the “unload – transfer” connection created a恶性循环: “barges堵在水上, goods压 on barges, yards waiting for入库.”
Lack of收费透明度和利益纠纷 further拖累 mid-stream operation efficiency. The Hong Kong Shippers’ Council pointed out significant disparities in Terminal Handling Charges (THC) levied by mid-stream operators and shipping lines, which did not reflect actual operational costs, leading to frequent disputes between consignees and shipping lines. To address this, the industry proposed establishing a “Hong Kong Mid-stream Terminal Management Council” with多方共同制定透明的 “Mid-stream Terminal Handling Charges.” However, this方案尚未落地, and the existing收费模式仍在制约作业效率. By end-2025, mid-stream operation delays due to fee disputes accounted for 12%, becoming a significant contributor to congestion.
III. Channel Bottleneck: The “Land-based Long Dragon” of Cross-border Transport
The cross-border transport channels connecting Hong Kong’s ports with the Pearl River Delta hinterland are the港口’s “lifeline” for cargo inflow and outflow. Yet, by the end of 2025, they became the “third checkpoint” of congestion. Approximately 70% of Hong Kong’s port containers require cross-border trucking to the Pearl River Delta, and the梗阻 of this “land通道” directly prevented timely疏散 of yard cargo, creating a连锁反应 of “hinterland congestion leads to port congestion.”
The roads around Kwai Tsing Container Terminals became a congestion hotspot. During the peak season at end-2025, daily traffic volume on major routes like Tsing Lai Bridge and Container Port Road突破 80,000 vehicle trips, far exceeding the road design capacity of 50,000 trips. Vehicle queues reached up to 5 kilometers long, with trucks平均等待入场时间超 2 hours. The experience of cross-border truck driver Master Li is representative: “I started from Bao’an, Shenzhen. A trip that originally took one hour took three hours. Then I queued for another two and a half hours at the terminal entrance. In a day, the time actually spent transporting was less than three hours.”先天不足 in road planning加剧了拥堵: Roads around Kwai Tsing terminals are mostly two-lane bi-directional, lacking dedicated freight lanes. Container trucks mixed with social vehicles极易引发交通事故, further堵死运输通道.
Truck driver shortage and inefficient customs clearance are the核心症结 of the channel blockage. As of October 2025, the shortage of local Hong Kong truck drivers reached 3,000, a缺口率超 25%. Some trucking companies experienced a 15%闲置率 of their fleet due to lack of personnel. To alleviate the manpower shortage, some companies tried recruiting mainland drivers, but繁琐的 visa procedures and disputes over薪酬待遇 led to poor recruitment outcomes. Simultaneously,衔接不畅 in customs clearance processes wasted大量时间: Cross-border trucks need to complete clearance procedures separately at Hong Kong and mainland customs. Some货物 required反复核验 due to document discrepancies. By end-2025, average clearance time reached 1.5 hours, an increase of 0.4 hours from 2024. Although the “Co-location Arrangement” policy (一地两检) is implemented, inspection processes for some high-value goods and dangerous品 remained relatively complex, acting as a “绊脚石” for clearance efficiency.
Soaring transport costs进一步抑制了运输积极性. By end-2025, cross-border trucking costs increased 40% year-on-year, including多项附加成本 like yard fees, unloading charges, and clearance fees. Some short-haul transport costs even exceeded 5% of the cargo value. Concurrently, rising oil prices increased fuel costs per trip by HKD 200-300, severely squeezing trucking companies’ profit margins. Some small companies chose to reduce运力, further加剧运输供需失衡.
IV. Anchorage Dilemma: The “Waiting Fleet” on the Open Sea
The final蔓延地 of congestion is the open sea anchorages around Hong Kong. These waters, originally intended for temporary anchorage, became “temporary parking lots” for ultra-large container vessels by the end of 2025, forming a “maritime congestion belt” extending from the port to the open sea – the most直观写照 of the global supply chain梗阻.
In December 2025, the peak number of vessels awaiting berth in the open sea anchorages around Hong Kong reached 28, a five-year high, with vessels over 20,000 TEUs accounting for 60%. The average waiting time for these vessels to berth reached 3-5 days, with some Europe and America mainline vessels waiting up to 7 days, an increase of 4 days from normal periods. Vessel AIS track data showed that waiting vessels mainly congregated in the waters southwest of Hong Kong and the anchorages outside the Pearl River Estuary, forming a “maritime queue”长达 15 nautical miles. A Maersk Line announcement indicated that due to Hong Kong port congestion, its “AE10” service vessels were forced to wait in open sea anchorages, causing 5-7 day delays in arrival times at European ports.
The direct losses from anchorage congestion are staggering. For shipping lines, a vessel waiting at anchorage incurs daily costs of approximately USD 100,000 for fuel, crew wages, port demurrage, etc. A seven-day wait for an ultra-large container vessel could mean losses up to USD 700,000. Simultaneously,闲置运力 reduced global shipping market slot supply. By end-2025, slot supply on Hong Kong’s Europe and America routes decreased by 18%, further推高运价: Freight rates from Asia to Europe increased 35% year-on-year, and Asia to US West Coast increased 28%. For shippers, vessel delays led to cargo delivery delays. Some Christmas season orders faced return risks after missing peak sales periods, with orders worth over USD 500 million in the US market alone affected.
Insufficient anchorage resources and flawed调度机制加剧困境. Available anchorage area around Hong Kong is limited, capable of accommodating only about 30 large vessels simultaneously. By end-2025, the number of waiting vessels was接近饱和, forcing some vessels to drift and wait in farther open sea, increasing航行成本与时间成本. Furthermore, anchorage调度缺乏智能化管理系统. Berthing sequence was still primarily based on arrival time, without considering factors like cargo urgency or vessel size, causing vessels carrying急需物资无法优先靠泊, further放大拥堵影响. Additionally, the crew shortage issue from the Russia-Ukraine conflict added fuel to the fire, with approximately 60,000 Ukrainian and Russian crew members stranded. Some waiting vessels couldn’t operate promptly due to crew rotation difficulties,加剧运力紧张.
V. The Path to Resolution: A Congestion Governance Plan for Full-chain Coordination
To破解全链条 congestion from yards to anchorages, Hong Kong’s port must跳出 “single-point governance”思维 and build a系统性解决方案 involving “space optimization, process re-engineering, technology empowerment, and regional coordination.” It must address each congestion node to打通供应链的 “任督二脉.”
(A) Yard Governance: Optimizing Space Configuration and Operational Efficiency
Short-term measures should dynamically adjust storage strategies to alleviate pressure: relocate empty containers to备用堆场 like Tsing Yi Island to free up core storage space in Kwai Tsing terminals, keeping laden container storage density within reasonable limits; implement an “appointment-based storage” system to optimize storage layout based on cargo arrival times and pickup plans, reducing rehandles. Simultaneously,加快解决收费争议 by referring to the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council suggestion to establish a多方参与的 “Mid-stream Terminal Management Council” to制定透明统一的码头处理费标准,消除运营摩擦.
Long-term,提升承载能力 requires infrastructure upgrades and automation transformation. Explore “yard立体化”改造 by building smart multi-story warehouses, increasing storage height to 12 tiers to提升 30% storage capacity without增加土地占用; increase investment in automated equipment, raising automated stacking crane coverage to 50%; introduce AI-powered智能调度系统 to achieve全流程自动化 in container storage, retrieval, and transfer, compressing rehandle time to within 15 minutes. Additionally, establish an空箱共享平台 to整合航运公司空箱资源, guiding empty container分流 to other Pearl River Delta ports to reduce空箱堆存压力 in Hong Kong.
(B) Mid-stream Operations: Enhancing Dispatch Efficiency and Connectivity
Optimize mid-stream area layout and调度机制: expand泊位设施 in mid-stream areas like Tsing Yi and Lantau, adding 3-5 deep-water berths to提升大型驳船靠泊能力; establish a “Mid-stream Operation Dispatch Center” using big data analytics to predict barge arrival peaks, implement time-slot appointment-based berthing to avoid集中拥堵. Simultaneously, upgrade mid-stream equipment, replace aging quay cranes, introduce small-scale automated handling equipment to提升单箱装卸效率至码头岸桥水平的 80%.
Strengthen衔接协同 between mid-stream operations and yards: launch “barge express” services between mid-stream areas and Kwai Tsing terminals, operating on fixed schedules with优先靠泊, compressing transfer time to within 4 hours; establish an信息共享平台 between mid-stream operations and yards for real-time synchronization of货物卸载、堆存信息, achieving无缝衔接 of “barge arrival triggers immediate unloading, unloading triggers immediate transfer.” Furthermore, promote the “mid-stream direct loading”模式, allowing some direct cargo to be loaded from barge to ocean vessel, bypassing yard transshipment, saving over 8 hours per voyage.
(C) Cross-border Channels: Unblocking the “Last Mile” of Land Transport
提升跨境道路运输能力: expand主要通道 like Tsing Lai Bridge and Container Port Road, add dedicated freight lanes to实现集装箱货车与社会车辆分流; set up large truck buffer zones at terminal entrances, implement “appointment-based pickup + time-slot release”制度, compressing truck entry waiting time to within 30 minutes. Simultaneously,解决拖车司机短缺问题: simplify visa procedures for mainland drivers, introduce a “Cross-border Driver Special Visa” allowing mainland drivers to engage in short-haul transport within Hong Kong port areas; optimize driver薪酬待遇, establish激励机制 linked to transport efficiency to提升行业吸引力.
Deepen通关一体化改革: expand the coverage of the “Co-location Arrangement” (一地两检), incorporating special goods like high-value cargo and dangerous品 into fast-track inspection channels; promote “smart clearance” systems using blockchain technology for real-time sharing and verification of customs declaration documents, compressing clearance time to within 30 minutes. Additionally, increase frequency of rail and waterway联运通道 between Hong Kong and inland Pearl River Delta cities, promote “sea-rail联运” and “river-sea联运” modes to分流 over 30% of cross-border trucking volume, alleviating陆上通道压力.
(D) Anchorage Management: Optimizing Resource Allocation and Berthing Efficiency
Expand anchorage resources and implement intelligent调度: establish 1-2 new deep-water anchorages outside the Pearl River Estuary to提升大型船舶待泊容量; establish an “Anchorage Intelligent Dispatch System” integrating vessel AIS tracks, port operational capacity, cargo urgency, etc., using algorithms to optimize berthing sequence, granting优先靠泊 to vessels carrying急需物资, compressing average waiting time to within 2 days. Simultaneously,试点 “anchorage unloading” for certain bulk or dangerous goods vessels, completing unloading at anchorage followed by barge transfer to port, reducing vessel berthing time.
Strengthen regional port anchorage resource sharing: establish an anchorage sharing机制 with ports like Shenzhen Yantian and Guangzhou Nansha, guiding some waiting vessels to分流 to surrounding port anchorages; open “transshipment express” services between Hong Kong port and surrounding ports to achieve快速转运 of cargo between different ports, avoiding long waits in Hong Kong anchorages. Furthermore, enhance communication and collaboration with international shipping lines,提前告知港口拥堵状况, guiding them to adjust航线布局 and合理安排船舶到港时间, avoiding集中拥堵.
(E) Regional Coordination: Building a联动体系 for the Greater Bay Area Port Cluster
Deepen分工协作 within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) port cluster: clarify Hong Kong port’s core positioning as “international transshipment, sea-air联运,” focusing on high-value-added cargo; guide Shenzhen Yantian to侧重欧美干线运输, Guangzhou Nansha to专注内贸和东南亚航线, forming a “错位发展、优势互补”格局. Establish a GBA port cluster信息共享平台 for real-time synchronization of yard capacity, berthing capability, freight rate levels, etc., to guide合理分流 of cargo flow.
Advance infrastructure互联互通: accelerate projects like “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Combined Port” and “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Logistics Channel” to achieve码头资源共享、舱位互认、通关互认 among GBA ports; increase frequency of barge routes between GBA ports,构建 “1-hour port circle” for快速转运 of cargo within the Bay Area. Additionally, jointly establish a “GBA Port Congestion Governance Alliance” to统筹协调 congestion治理措施 across ports, forming a全区域的拥堵防控体系.
Conclusion
From the “three-dimensional maze” of terminal yards to the “barge siege” of mid-stream areas, from the “land-based long dragon” of cross-border channels to the “waiting fleet” in open sea anchorages, the全链条 congestion of Hong Kong’s port represents the系统性挑战 faced by traditional shipping hubs amidst the shifting tides of globalization. This congestion not only exposes Hong Kong port’s shortcomings in infrastructure, operational management, and regional coordination but also highlights the global supply chain’s excessive reliance on a single hub.
破解香港港口拥堵困局 is绝非 the “独角戏” of a single port but requires a “协奏曲” of multi-party coordination involving government, industry, and enterprises. Through全节点治理 of yards, mid-stream, channels, and anchorages, combined with digital transformation and regional coordination, Hong Kong’s port can not only摆脱拥堵困境 but also巩固其国际航运中心地位. In the future, with the不断完善 of the GBA port cluster联动机制, Hong Kong’s port will join forces with ports like Shenzhen and Guangzhou to build a更具韧性的全球供应链枢纽体系. This will allow the “trade bridge” connecting Asia-Pacific with the world to become畅通无阻 again, providing坚实支撑 for the stable development of global trade.