Major congestion across north European ports is forecast to last well into the summer, with this week’s strikes at Antwerp-Bruges not having helped the situation.
Before the start of industrial action on Tuesday, yard utilization at Antwerp had already hit 96%, with reefer plugs reportedly over capacity at 112%. More than 100 vessels were awaiting service after the strike concluded on Wednesday morning.
This latest strike is not the sole cause of the difficulties being felt in Northern Europe.
Maersk began to issue advisories in mid-April that operators were contending with “increasing congestion levels and operational disruptions at several ports,” pointing to low inland water levels, amendments to ocean networks, and a drop in available labour.
Added to which, said a spokesperson for the Belgian gateway: “Schedule reliability and large calls-sizes also are an issue.”
Read more in an article from The Loadstar.
