Severe winter weather across Europe is causing significant disruption, prompting major carriers to issue industry-wide congestion warnings. Forecasts indicate that another significant winter storm event is likely in the coming week.

According to recent advisories from Maersk, persistent storms and heavy snowfall across South-West and Western Europe have led to terminal closures, reduced productivity, and delays that are now affecting cargo flows into Northern Europe. The carrier highlighted snow and icy road conditions, which are contributing to congestion and slowing inland transportation to and from key terminals. Many terminals are reporting extended queues for both import and export cargo due to reduced operational capacity.

Hapag-Lloyd issued a similar statement, notifying customers of schedule disruptions for vessels bound for Northern Europe and noting that the severe weather conditions has led to “significant reductions” in operations. CMA CGM also reported challenging navigation conditions in the Atlantic, particularly along the coasts of France, Spain, and Morocco.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) further confirmed operational disruptions across the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay region, adding that the weather would impact “vessel transit and port approaches in Portugal, Morocco, and the Strait of Gibraltar. According to the ONE advisory, operations at multiple terminals were temporarily halted due to unsafe weather conditions, including Algeciras, Tangier, and Casablanca.

Source: The Loadstar, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA-CGM, ONE