Container ships appear to have delayed their arrival in major ports in Japan’s Kyushu island as yet another super typhoon bore down on East Asia on 18 September.
Typhoon Nanmadol, the 14th of the East Asian typhoon season, brought record rainfall of 300 to 400 mm of rain and wind gusts of up to 235 km per hour.
SITC Container Lines’ 907 TEU SITC Nagoya, which had departed China’s Dayaowan port on 13 September and was to have arrived in Hakata, one of Kyushu’s major ports, on 17 September. However, on 18 September, SITC Nagoya diverted and took shelter in South Korea’s Mokpo port. S&P Global’s vessel-tracking data indicates that SITC Nagoya has provided 21 September as its new arrival date in Hakata.
Taicang Container Lines-operated 982 TEU Ortolan Epsilon, had departed China’s Taicang port on 17 November, due to arrive in Hakata two days later. However, at the time of writing, appears to be anchored outside Hakata port.
The 338 TEU Ji Peng, operated by Success Shipping, initially due to have departed China’s Weifang port on 17 September for Hakata port, has remained at nearby Penglai anchorage, with an estimated arrival on 22 September, two days later than the original arrival date.
Starocean Marine-operated 604 TEU Acacia Ares had departed Shanghai on 18 September and was to have arrived in Moji, another Kyushu port, on 21 September. However, the ship took shelter in Zhapu, China, delaying its arrival in Moji by a day.
Typhoon Nanmadol is expected to turn east and move towards Japan’s main island, Honshu, before exiting via the sea on 21 September. While Tokyo received heavy rains today, businesses, transport systems and ports continued to operate normally.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
