Typhoon Dolphin swept through East China from August 9th to 10th, causing the cancellation of over 2,200 flights at Shanghai's Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) airports, with daily capacity reduced by nearly 40% at one point. Air freight shipments from Ningbo (NGB) and Fuzhou (FOC) were also affected. If your goods are shipped out of China by air from these ports, you will almost certainly face delays and increased freight rates this week.
what happened
On August 9, more than 1,300 flights were canceled at Shanghai's two airports; on August 10, the day the typhoon made landfall, another 943 flights were canceled. In total, more than 2,200 flights were canceled over the two days, reducing airport capacity by nearly 401 TP3T. Cargo originally scheduled to be shipped on the canceled flights on the 9th and 10th was all piling up, directly blocking available space for the following days.
In addition to Pudong and Hongqiao, Ningbo Lishe and Fuzhou are also within the affected area.
What does this mean for export sellers?
The impact is mainly in two areas:
Freight rates have increased. Air freight rates from Shanghai to the East and West coasts of the United States have generally increased this week, with many freight forwarders switching to negotiated prices on a case-by-case basis instead of quoting fixed prices. Freight rates in North China, including Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, and Beijing (DLC/TSN/TAO/PEK), have also risen or remained at high levels.
Cabin seats need to be booked in advance. Large shipments now generally require booking 6-7 days in advance to secure a space, and low-priced slots are virtually unavailable. China-Hong Kong shipping companies had previously warned that waiting times in Shanghai were already 5-8 days before the typhoon, and this typhoon has added another layer of congestion to an already strained situation. Recovery to normal levels is expected to take several weeks, not just a couple of days.
What are your suggestions for handling time-sensitive goods?
Shipments from Shanghai are facing unavoidable backlogs these days, so allow sufficient lead time. Large shipments generally need to be booked 6-7 days in advance to secure a space; don't wait until your goods are ready before looking for room. For orders with tight delivery dates, it's best to coordinate with the buyer beforehand, as delivery times may be pushed back a few days from this week to early next week.
If there are several channels to choose from for the same batch of goods, you can compare the current prices first—the price increases vary between channels, and not all channels raise prices at the same time.
To check specific shipping costs and delivery times, you can directly... CZL shipping cost inquiry Compare the prices and delivery times of several companies and choose one where cabin availability is not currently tight.
Information source
- CNBCStorms from Typhoon Dolphin soak China's east, ground nearly 950 Shanghai flights2026-08-09
- ZencargoMarket Update: August 11, 20262026-08-11
- CH Robinson,Client Advisory: Typhoon Dolphin Disrupting Ocean and Air Freight Across East China2026-08-07