European ports are currently grappling with significant delays due to record container volumes arriving from China, extreme winter weather, and ongoing labor challenges.

In December, exports from China to North Europe recorded a 17.6% increase year-over-year, according to Container Trade Statistics (CTS) data. The influx of container arrivals, which started to reach European ports in late January and throughout February, has intensified existing congestion issues, noted Emily Stausbøll, senior shipping analyst at Xeneta. Some European ports in Northern Europe, the UK, Le Havre, and Belgium, which are already dealing with delays, will come under even greater pressure from the high container volumes.

Additionally, severe weather, which bore down on Europe in late January, disrupted vessel movement and port operations, which halted cargo handling. The ports affected by the storm include Hamburg, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Felixstowe, and Southampton, all of which are still working through the backlog of containers.

In Rotterdam, strike action at Hutchison Port Delta II is disrupting operations and exacerbating the existing congestion, according to Maersk. Meanwhile, in France, port workers are holding four-hour stoppages on ten separate days, ending February 24 at container ports across the country. A 48-hour nationwide strike is also set for February 26–28. As a result, some cargo is expected to be redirected to competing European ports.

Source: Journal of Commerce