The continued high consumer demand is among the main drivers of congestion along international supply chains, as a “new normal” for logistics settles in for the long term, a report claims.

“Fear of shortages, both real and rumoured, is driving consumers to over-buy once again,” the inaugural issue of the E2open Ocean Shipping Index said, adding that the “strain” to clear US east and west coast ports will be a key initiative to help inbound and outbound port dwell times “slowly decline” in the coming months.

The quarterly publication reports the number of days needed from the moment a container is booked to when a consignee takes delivery at the destination port.

As of October 21, an average of 70 days is needed to book a container, have it shipped overseas and received by ground transport for final delivery, of which 43% is attributed to the time “from booking to gate-in at the port, while another 36% of the increase comes from “ocean transit and awaiting entry time”.

That compares with 13 days or 23% longer than the previous year.

More from LloydsLoadingList. In addition to separate reports on the world's biggest box-boat carrier Maersk which reported post-record quarterly results and also that freight demand is to continue into Q1 of 2022.