Uncollected AI Equipment Clogs Taoyuan as Freighters Queue

Cargo from early September is still sitting uncollected in warehouses at Taiwan Taoyuan Airport, as imports of equipment for the island's AI and semiconductor industries choke the air cargo gateway and force handling delays and flight cancellations.

Forwarders on the ground describe a congestion cycle with a clear mechanism. Consignees are not collecting freight, so ground-handling agent (GHA, the company that breaks down cargo for airlines) warehouses fill up. Freight that cannot enter the warehouse stays on dollies (the low trailers used to tow cargo from aircraft). Dollies then run short, aircraft cannot be unloaded, and the backlog spreads across the terminal.

"Reminds me of Covid days," one forwarder told The Loadstar.

"There is a shortage of dollies at the airport, so cargo cannot be unloaded from aircraft and towed to the ground handlers for breakdown, etc.," the forwarder said. "There is so much freight sitting in the GHA warehouse and this not being collected by customers. There apparently is cargo from early September still sitting there."

Why are importers not collecting their cargo?

The reason remains uncertain, but the forwarder suggested a timing mismatch rather than a demand problem. Equipment is reaching Taiwan before the factories meant to receive it are ready.

"We are not 100% sure why customers are not collecting the freight, but we understand this also stems from the customers' manufacturing facilities not being ready to take on this equipment yet. So, the whole supply chain is backlogged," the source said.

The blockage is now physical as well as operational. "Now the bridge connecting the main terminal to the GHA is packed with these loaded dollies so it's blocking the way, and other GHA cargo also being slowed down and affected."

The forwarder attributed the pressure directly to Taiwan's technology build-out: "All this arising from the incredible imports Taiwan is now facing for AI, semi-con and AI-related services. Manufacturing fully ramped up with so much new equipment coming in to support it is choking everything."

The China Airlines warehouse is the most affected, according to the account, which is why CI services carry the heaviest disruption.

What does this change for airlines and shippers?

The ground-level detail adds substance to a 4 November advisory from Seko Logistics. The forwarder reported that China Airlines, EVA Air and Starlux issued notices on 2 November warning that increased import volumes were putting pressure on staff, dollies and handling capacity.

Seko warned clients to expect:

• delays in cargo breakdown and build-up
• longer export processing times
• changes to shipment departure schedules
• cancellations of selected China Airlines freighter services, including US-bound freighters

Seko did not identify the cancelled flights and could not establish whether the cancellations resulted from the handling congestion or from other factors. That distinction matters for shippers: a warehouse problem can clear in weeks, while network decisions persist.

Capacity data complicates the picture

Rotate data shows inbound widebody freighter capacity to Taiwan rose 20% in the week from 29 October to 4 November, against the preceding seven days.

• Narita–Taipei: up about 1,000 tonnes, or 49%
• Shanghai Pudong–Taipei: up 595 tonnes, or 76%
• Hong Kong–Taipei: up 572 tonnes, or 20%
• Los Angeles–Taipei: up 519 tonnes, or 66%

The increase followed a 15% decline the previous week, indicating a rebound rather than sustained growth.

Outbound Taiwan–US widebody freighter capacity also grew, rising 4% over the same comparison. Within that total, China Airlines' capacity fell 8%, or 263 tonnes, while EVA, UPS and Atlas recorded increases.

The figures cut against a simple explanation. The handling disruption is occurring alongside growth in overall US-bound lift, not a general contraction in capacity. China Airlines' outbound reduction may reflect the cancellations Seko reported, but the market as a whole added capacity into the congestion.

For shippers moving AI-related equipment, the practical consequence is schedule risk at both ends: import cargo faces warehouse dwell before collection, and export cargo faces slower processing and possible re-timing. Whether Taoyuan's handling chain clears will depend largely on when Taiwan's new manufacturing facilities are ready to receive the equipment already parked on the airport's dollies.