Vessels arriving in or departing Rotterdam and Antwerp are already looking at extreme delays due to the short-lived strike actions that have been halted until Friday. Major Northern Europe ports that have struggled with congestion troubles throughout the year have seen little respite from challenging factors.
Antwerp congestion is currently at 55% and witnessed a 150% increase in average weekly congestion over from week 40, which closed with a 22% congestion rate. Rotterdam currently stands at a less extreme 31% but also saw a 95% increase in average congestion from week 40, which closed at a 19% congestion rate.
This burst of strike-related congestion will continue to send ripples downstream in the weeks ahead, and all eyes are on the possibility of a strike recurrence. Perhaps just as significant as the weeks long backlog that can already be expected, is the severity with which some voyages have been impacted.
Notable vessels hit by these events include the APL MINNESOTA, which has waited outside of Rotterdam for 10 days after arriving on the 6th of October. The 6000 TEU vessel is currently assigned to CMA CGM’s transatlantic VICTORY service and is forecasted to receive a berth today. Despite omitting her next call to Antwerp, it's highly likely that her 8-day delay will continue to increase as she makes her successive calls in Europe. Other examples of exceptional delays include large Asia – Europe vessels with extended berth stays like the 20K TEU MILAN MAERSK (9-day berth stay) and the 19K TEU vessel AL ZUBARA (8-day berth stay).
Beyond severity, it’s also worth noting the scope of impact. Services on Far East – Europe might be hardest hit, but the impact can also be felt in North America and South America trades. Gemini services are not exempt, with some transatlantic vessels now expecting up to 5 days of delayed arrival, omissions, and port swaps of both Rotterdam and Antwerp. MSC has also increased the turnaround time of their Mexico Gulf Express service, communicating a 7-day berth stay in Antwerp through December – although it’s unclear if this update is exclusively tied to the strike actions.
eeSea Signals
- Antwerp Inbound/Outbound Vessels Calendar
- Rotterdam Inbound/Outbound Calendar
- Port Congestion Timeline - Tableau Permission Required
- Port Congestion by Vessel Wait Times - Tableau Permission Required
- Trade Capacity + Schedule Reliability Evoultion by Port - Tableau Permission Required