Port of Tauranga and Auckland reinstating berth windows

Post by: Burnard Intl.

Port of Tauranga and Auckland reinstating berth windows for scheduled vessel calls.

Main ports in New Zealand are attempting to bring back scheduled times for ships to arrive and depart from their container terminals (berthing windows). Auckland Port (POAL) had started implementing this from March 6th, and Tauranga (POTL) from March 12th. To help ships stick to their schedules, they're reducing the amount of cargo that ships load and unload (called the exchange number). Both POAL and POTL have reduced their exchange number for all services.  By controlling their throughput, the goal is to have ships move efficiently through the ports and return to their respective schedule.

However, POTL has reduced their exchange number by about 50%, which severely restricts the amount of cargo that can be loaded and unloaded.

In essence, they are attempting to take one step back and two steps forward to reintroduce berthing windows and their associated efficiencies.

The negative impacts on the shipping industry across New Zealand due to this aforementioned is that forced reductions in volumes through POTL and POAL will impact container routings, create capacity reductions on certain trade lanes and impact pricing until there is a level of stability when progress is achieved in this process.

The general feedback from the shipping lines is that while we are feeling the pinch of reduced volumes that if the end result is achieved it will be a positive step forward to gain greater efficiencies through some of our main ports in New Zealand