On May 28th local time, Jacques van der Meiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, told the outside world that ports across Europe, including Antwerp, are facing serious congestion due to factors such as the US tariff policy, intensified geopolitical tensions and climate change .

Industry analysts predict that the European shipping bottleneck is expected to continue until July, and "it will take another 6 to 8 weeks to control the situation." At the same time, port congestion may be spreading to ports in China and the United States .

 

Average waiting times at many European ports rise sharply

Van der Meilen said Belgian terminal operators, transport companies and inland shipping lines were suffering heavy losses due to increased waiting times and supply chain disruptions.

The latest report from Drewry also highlights the congestion problem at major northern European seaports.

The Drewry report shows that the berth waiting time in major ports has increased significantly. Between the end of March and mid-May, the berth waiting time in Bremen Port increased by 77% ; the berth waiting time in Antwerp Port increased from 32 hours in the 13th week to 44 hours in the 20th week, an increase of 37% ; the berth waiting time in Hamburg Port increased from 34 hours to 50 hours, an increase of 49% .

The delays stemmed mainly from labor shortages and historically low water levels on the Rhine, which severely hampered the movement of barges to inland destinations, exacerbating port congestion. A nationwide strike at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges on May 20 further exacerbated operational pressures.

 

To mitigate the impact of delays on sailings, Maersk has recently taken emergency measures, including temporary adjustments to routes, such as extending its AE5 route from Bremerhaven to the Nordic terminal.

 

Port congestion spreads

The "ripple effect" of port congestion and delays also extends beyond Europe. Drewry said similar situations have occurred in Shenzhen, Los Angeles and New York, where the number of container ships waiting to berth has been increasing over the past three weeks. 

The Drewry report pointed out that since late April, the number of container ships waiting to berth in Shenzhen, Los Angeles and New York has steadily increased. According to Drewry's container capacity tracking data, the number of ships waiting in Shenzhen jumped from 17 to 31 between weeks 16 and 20; the number of ships waiting in the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex more than doubled from 17 to 42.

"Port delays are extending shipping times, disrupting inventory plans and forcing shippers to carry additional inventory." A surge in demand on trans-Pacific routes has raised concerns about congestion and cargo bottlenecks at major U.S. ports.

Drewry Managing Director Philippe Damas said that Drewry has warned importers that if all shippers increase their front-loading efforts, they must plan for difficult operating and transportation conditions. The fluidity of the supply chain in the maritime sector relies on relatively stable and predictable volumes and the predictability of future product flows, but sudden changes in freight rates can trigger destructive chain reactions, including disruptions, shortages, surpluses and port congestion.

Sea Intelligence noted that US West Coast ports may face particular pressure as shipping lines are shifting capacity to the trans-Pacific trade and favoring services that call there. In the 10 weeks from May 26 to July 28, shipping lines have already moved 5% of capacity to the West Coast in the past week alone.

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