Commodity Vessels Clog China Ports as Fee Imposed on US Ships

Waiting times for commodity vessels queued off China’s ports increased to the lengthiest this year, as geopolitical sparring between Beijing and Washington disrupts global trade.

It took an average of 2.66 days for a vessel to get into a berth after arrival in the week to Oct. 19, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data from ship-tracking platform Kpler on Tuesday. That’s an increase of 17% on-week, and the longest period this year, the calculations show.

China has introduced a hefty extra fee on vessels known to have American links, following a similar US move. The maritime friction forms ...