The following advisory was published by A.P. Moller – Maersk:
In light of the ongoing congestion across North Europe, A.P. Moller – Maersk would like to provide customers with an update on the situation at some of our key ports: Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp.
Rest assured, our teams are working around the clock to keep supply chains moving as seamlessly as possible and minimise the impact on customers. We will continue to monitor the ever-changing circumstances in North Europe over the coming weeks and adapt as necessary to support your global logistics needs. Please return to this page for weekly updates on the developments across the region.
Bremerhaven
At Bremerhaven, congestion has reached a critical level, with vast and continuous operational disruptions across the global supply chain impacting yard density levels and waiting times at the port.
Maersk is also keeping under review the ongoing talks between trade union Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), acknowledging the potential for strike action to take place and cause further disruption. We understand that the next round of discussions will occur on Tuesday 21st June and will evaluate our next steps in the event of any stoppages.
Maersk teams are working closely with the terminal and exploring a number of congestion-easing options, including reviewing several internal processes to help keep cargo flowing in and out effectively, as well as in-transit/off-dock storage options for longstanding cargo. Please do get in touch with your local customer service representative for more information on in-transit or off-dock storage solutions in Bremerhaven.
We would like to inform you on the possibility to store your full containers at Addicks & Kreye in direct proximity to the port. For further information, please contact your sales or customer service representative.
We are also assessing if redirecting your shipments to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to us to discuss your options for Bremerhaven cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the circumstances. To help alleviate the port congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
The continuously critical levels of terminal yard density have an adverse effect on the port and gate op-erations, which result in lower productivity in the terminals and potentially restricted gate opening times that limit our ability to take in more units (both full and empty). For that reason, Maersk are also evacu-ating longstanding units to off-dock facilities if not picked up within reasonable time frames. Your cus-tomer service representative will be contacting you if your containers are selected to be moved to an off-dock location.
In terms of inland transportation, we are seeing several external factors – including system outages and reduced scheduling on national holidays and unexpected railway disruptions – having a detrimental im-pact on road and rail services. Throughout May and June, there have been three incidents where the rail overhead lines have been compromised in Bremerhaven. These have caused unexpected disruption to rail connectivity and resulted in many delays and even cancellation of trains.
Maersk teams are planning ahead and focusing on clearing backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Rotterdam
As high congestion levels in the Port of Rotterdam continue to pose challenges, A.P. Moller – Maersk teams have been working hard to alleviate the situation for our customers. We understand that the dis-ruption may have an impact on your business, and we are committed to reducing delays and restoring fluidity as quickly as possible.
Maersk teams are assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven or Zeebrugge could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Rotterdam cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
We are also working closely with the terminal and exploring several congestion-easing options, including reviewing in-transit/off-dock storage options for long-standing cargo. We can provide several different off-dock options around the Netherlands to our customers according to their needs, including our warehouse facilities in nearby Willebroek (Belgium). Please get in touch with your sales or customer service representative for more information on in-transit or off-dock storage/warehousing solutions in Netherlands/Belgium.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the situation in Rotterdam. To help alleviate the terminal congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
The continuously critical levels of terminal yard density have an adverse effect on the port and gate operations, which result in lower productivity in the terminals and potentially restricted gate opening times that limit our ability to take in more units (both full and empty). For that reason, Maersk are also evacuating longstanding units to off-dock facilities if not picked up within reasonable time frames. Your customer service representative will be contacting you if your containers are selected to be moved to an off-dock location.
For inland cargo, Maersk teams are planning ahead and focusing on clearing the backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Hamburg
Congestion across the global supply chain has contributed to challenging yard density levels and waiting times at the Port of Hamburg, while potential strike action threatens to add further disruption across Germany and North Europe.
We are keeping under review the ongoing talks between trade union Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), acknowledging the possibility of strike action taking place. We understand that the next round of discussions will occur on Tuesday 21st June and will evaluate our next steps in the event of any stoppages.
Maersk teams are committed to keeping your supply chain moving and minimising the impact on your business, and we will continue to communicate any further developments as they happen.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the situation in Rotterdam. To help alleviate the terminal congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
Maersk is also assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Wilhelmshaven, Gdansk or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Hamburg cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
For inland road and rail services to and from Hamburg, backlogs, delays and cancellations to rail services have had a significant impact on productivity and available capacity. Maersk teams are planning ahead to focus on clearing the backlogs and securing incremental capacities.
In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Antwerp
Despite waiting times and terminal productivity remaining at fair levels in Antwerp, yard density across the North Europe network remains high – predominantly caused by high dwell time and vessel delays impacting productivity and berth congestion.
This combined with facing a reduction in labour as we enter the summer period means Maersk is keeping a close eye on Antwerp and making provisions to ensure congestion remains at a minimum and customer supply chains continue to function seamlessly.
As such, we are politely asking that customers please pick up full inbound units as quickly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
Maersk is also assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Zeebrugge or Wilhelmshaven – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the potential impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Antwerp cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
For inland cargo, Maersk teams are planning ahead with a focus on clearing backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Giving you the best ability to manage your supply chain is of paramount importance to us and we are working to give you the tools and information you need to do so. Our teams are here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience teams to discuss your options and ask any questions you may have.
Source: A.P. Moller – Maersk (JK)
Source: A.P. Moller – Maersk