Carrier update flags weather-related operational pressure at Brazilian container terminals

Hapag-Lloyd’s Latin America operational update, last updated on 3 November 2026, reports weather-related operating pressure at a number of Brazilian container terminals. The carrier lists adverse weather at Itajaí Port Berth 1, Rio Brasil Terminal, Multi-Rio and Santos Brasil, while describing conditions as “regular” at Brasil Terminal and DP World Santos.

According to the update, average vessel waiting time was reported as more than six hours at Itajaí Port Berth 1, Multi-Rio, Brasil Terminal and Santos Brasil. Rio Brasil Terminal and DP World Santos were shown with waiting time of about six hours. The update also identifies critical berth productivity at Itajaí Port Berth 1 and below-target productivity at Rio Brasil Terminal. At Santos, Brasil Terminal was reported with dwell time above the carrier’s target, while DP World Santos and Santos Brasil were reported below that target.

These are carrier-reported terminal indicators rather than notices issued by port authorities, terminal operators or harbourmasters. They do not establish a general closure, a navigational restriction, a port-wide congestion event or a particular delay for any individual vessel. The advisory likewise does not provide underlying meteorological observations, terminal queue data, berth-window rules, cargo-specific impacts, or a defined period over which each waiting-time figure was measured.

Analysis: the combination of adverse-weather references, waiting times above six hours and isolated productivity pressure is a relevant near-term schedule-risk indicator for liner calls and landside cargo planning at the named facilities. However, the available evidence is insufficient to determine whether conditions are worsening, how long they may persist, or whether they affect bulk, breakbulk, liquid-bulk or passenger operations elsewhere in the same ports.

Why this matters: masters, operators and chartering or cargo interests with calls at the named terminals should treat the update as a prompt to verify berth windows, pilotage and marine-service availability, terminal acceptance status, gate arrangements and cargo cut-offs directly with the relevant terminal, agent and port authority. It should not be used as a basis for assuming that a berth, safe passage, cargo readiness or a revised ETA has been confirmed.