Danish shipping company Maersk warned that the 2026 typhoon season in East Asia is unusually bad. Several strong typhoons hit within two weeks, causing flooding, port congestion, and delays. These problems may last longer than expected.
The Northwest Pacific typhoon season (July to October) is on track to be one of the worst ever. Forecasters predicted nearly 28 tropical storms in 2026, more than the average of 25.5. By mid-September, Japan’s Weathernews confirmed 19 typhoons by August 16, compared to the usual 14.
This is linked to El Niño, which makes global warming worse and may be the strongest ever in 2026. Storms force ships to reroute or slow down and shut down ports. Delays pile up, ships skip stops, and goods wait offshore for days. Congestion peaked in late August in North Asian ports and is now spreading to Korea and Southeast Asia.
Sea Intelligence compared the situation to Covid-19. In July, only 21% of container ships arrived on time in Shanghai. This was the worst in 14 years outside the pandemic.
Freight rates are rising. The Drewry index jumped from $956 to $1,402 for Asia between late July and mid-September. Asia to US East Coast routes saw the biggest increases, made worse by drought-related restrictions on the Panama Canal. From October, the canal will limit traffic to 29.5 passages per day instead of 36.
El Niño also worsens global warming. The IPCC says major tropical cyclones have likely become more intense over the past 40 years. Global warming damages ports, with Oxford researchers estimating $7.15 billion in yearly damage, 32% from tropical cyclones alone.
Reference
Le Monde, “En Asie, El Niño alimente une saison exceptionnelle de typhons ‘intenses et de longue durée,’ qui désorganise le transport maritime,” published September 21, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/09/21/en-asie-el-nino-alimente-une-saison-exceptionnelle-de-typhons-intenses-et-de-longue-duree-qui-desorganise-le-transport-maritime_6779127_3234.html