Persistent congestion continues to impact Northern Europe’s key container ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and London Gateway. According to a global forwarder’s visibility platform, this is causing “heavily disrupted operations”. The delays are driven by a combination of full terminal yards, labor shortages, strike activity, restricted inland transport and changes in alliance networks. Additionally, the challenges are being compounded by a consistent flow of imports from Asia.

Another global forwarder described the situation as “systemic by nature”, and thus likely to recur. They warned that the Gemini Cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk is complicating efforts to maintain operational efficiency as new service rotations are phased in.

Disruptions have also come in the form of low inland water levels on the Rhine, which has limited barge capacity and shifted more freight to strained rail and road networks. In Hamburg, containers are piling up, rail shipments are delayed by up to 10 hours, and some trains are being rerouted 200 kilometers due to a landslide. The Port of Le Havre in France is addressing container backlogs after several strikes held in April, while the UK ports of Felixstowe and Southampton are experiencing vessel delays.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges was shut down by a strike on April 29, the fourth strike in Belgium in recent months. A spokesperson from the Port of Antwerp-Bruges said, ”Almost all ports across Northern Europe have to deal with the same issues, as the same carriers call there and as they serve the same hinterland, and the subsequent congestion,” commenting on the ongoing challenges faced by ports in Northern Europe to The Loadstar. “The situation in Antwerp is no worse than elsewhere.”

Source: Journal of Commerce