AZJ is pushing its Darwin option for numerous reasons, even though for analysts, it's not a perfect solution.

Here are examples of delays to international container shipping vessels affecting Australian east coast ports.

Some of these vessels may be too large to be accommodated at Darwin's port with its apparent limit of vessels carrying 4000 TEU, but delays on Oz's east coast at other ports remain a concern to conignors and consignees.

Many vessels still run late: bad weather is a prime contributor, along with port congestion. Ships can be a week or even two weeks late on say a 40-50 day itinerary, so the lines try to achieve schedule recovery. An easy way to make up some time is to choose one of Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane to omit, which means containers bound for say Sydney may be unloaded in Melbourne and transferred either on a subsequent ship, or perhaps less often by landbridging, preferably rail if available. Even this latter type of delay can add days to the total time a container is in transit.

These are at a time when volumes of import and export containers have declined due to retailers having eventually become overstocked, and some consumer hesitancy in Oz from interest rate and inflation rises. Imagine what it's like if demand is better!

From Japanese-owned ONE (Ocean Network Express, containers usually a bright pink):

(the first one suggests an extra delay for Sydney importers and exporters of about five days, as the ship was originally calling at Sydney first, but now it went to Melbourne initially):

04/07/2023Notice to Clients – Vessel Port Rotation UpdatePRESTIGE V.324S / 328NDear Valued Customer,We wish to advise, Prestige V.321S/ 328N will be changing her port rotation in Australiawith tentative schedule as follow:

Original rotation:Sydney > Melbourne > Brisbane
New rotation:Melbourne > Sydney > BrisbanePort
ETA ETD
Melbourne 13/07/2023 11:00 15/07/2023 1:30
Sydney 16/07/2023 8:00 18/07/2023 6:00
Brisbane 19/07/2023 18:00 21/07/2023 7:30

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An older one from French-owned CMA CGM:

NEMO Service – MSC ANCHORAGE MA324R/MA317A Omits Fremantle

• Friday, June 23, 2023

Please be advised that due to delays caused by bad weather and port congestion the MSC ANCHORAGE MA324R will now omit Fremantle for schedule recovery purposes.

Tentative schedule is as follows, subject to berth availability:

	POL	ETA	ETD
1	AUMEL	24-Jun	25-Jun
2	AUADL	26-Jun	27-Jun
3	AUFRE	Omit	Omit

Fremantle import cargo will now discharge in Adelaide and is planned to tranship on the MSC Anzu V.MA318A to Fremantle.