From ports to pivots: What recent disruptions are teaching supply chains about agility

Just when global shipping showed signs of stabilising, new disruptions have reminded us that the waters remain far from calm. Port performance remains highly variable, influenced not only by infrastructure capabilities but by shifting cargo flows, geopolitical uncertainties, and regional imbalances.

For logistics and supply chain professionals, this isn’t just background noise—it’s the difference between on-time delivery and weeks of delay. And that’s exactly why real-time visibility into port performance matters.

Rerouting reshapes the map: The Red Sea ripple effect

The prolonged instability in the Red Sea has forced shipping alliances to continue rerouting Asia-Europe services via the Cape of Good Hope. While this mitigates the security risk, it’s added thousands of kilometres to voyages, with longer transit times impacting port schedules across multiple continents.

Mediterranean ports like Gioia Tauro and Algeciras, have seen an uptick in vessel traffic as Asia-Europe services continue rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope. This increase in volumes due to the Red Sea crisis and increased trade flows between Asia, Europe, and Africa has placed renewed demands on terminal operations and vessel scheduling.

However, this trend hasn’t been universal—Piraeus, despite its strategic location, recorded a decline in throughput over recent months, likely due to shifting alliance preferences and operational constraints.

Meanwhile, ports like King Abdullah, Visakhapatnam, and Nantong, recognised for efficient turnaround times, continue to serve as examples of operational resilience amid broader volatility.

Benefits of considering secondary ports 

In the Baltic, ports such as Gdynia and Klaipėda have maintained stable operations, with no significant disruptions reported in early 2025.

Their continued stability highlights an important lesson: in a volatile global shipping environment, even regional or secondary ports can play a pivotal role in maintaining flow and absorbing pressure—proving that diversification in routing isn't just a backup plan, but a strategic advantage.

These aren’t headline-grabbing disruptions—but for the supply chains that rely on them, the impact is immediate and costly. The need for region-specific visibility is more important than ever.

Looking beyond the data: Why trendlines matter

In our previous port performance analysis, we identified improving trends across regions like Oceania, North America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Reduced dwell times, better berth productivity, and faster ship turnaround were encouraging signs.

However, recent data suggests that these gains are fragile—susceptible to shifts in trade lanes, feeder service gaps, and infrastructure strain from diverted volumes.

Consider ports that showed zero anchorage wait times just weeks ago. Some of these are now experiencing moderate congestion as vessel calls increase unexpectedly. Others are seeing yard efficiency impacted by equipment shortages or customs backlogs.

It’s a sharp reminder: in port operations, today’s calm can be tomorrow’s storm.

What this means for your routing strategy

With global carriers still adjusting their sailing schedules and regional dynamics evolving, supply chain professionals must make routing decisions that are adaptive, not static. Key takeaways include:

• Monitor rerouting trends and assess how they might affect both primary and secondary ports on your route.
• Track dwell time volatility, not just ship delays—cargo sitting in a terminal can derail just-in-time plans just as much as ships at sea.
• Compare ports across regions, even if they’re not currently on your route. Today’s backup may become tomorrow’s best option.

Beacon’s Shareable Dashboards help you spot these shifts before they become bottlenecks.

The final word: Agility is the new predictability

In a global supply chain landscape shaped by rerouting, port rotation changes, and variable labour and weather conditions, relying on outdated data is a costly mistake. Agility doesn’t come from reacting faster—it comes from seeing sooner.

At Beacon, we’re helping our users build smarter, data-driven routing strategies by offering the visibility they need to stay ahead of disruptions.

Don’t just track what’s happening, plan for what’s next. Explore Beacon’s Logistics Planning tools today.