Port congestion across Europe continues to intensify, particularly in Bremerhaven, where labor shortages have surpassed expectations.
Jannik Amstutz, senior ocean freight manager for Germany, reported average delays of five to six days depending on the port of destination.
“While the pleasant weather is welcome, a lack of rainfall is contributing to low water levels on the Rhine, restricting the use of barges—especially from Antwerp and Rotterdam—which is compounding the congestion issue,” Amstutz explained.
Meanwhile, Maersk has flagged unexpected labor shortages in Bremerhaven during the Easter, Ascension Day, and Whit Monday holidays, noting that the extent of the workforce decline “exceeded forecasts.” The carrier warned that additional holiday periods could further constrain labor availability.
To address ongoing disruption, Maersk has extended its contingency measures through the end of May, anticipating that terminal operations will stabilize by then. As part of its plan, the AE5 service route has been temporarily extended beyond Bremerhaven to include Nordic ports, following the route: Qingdao–Yantian–Tanjung Pelepas–London Gateway–Bremerhaven–Hamburg.
Bremerhaven also plays a crucial role in the Gemini network, serving as a major transhipment hub connecting Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd’s deepsea services with Baltic and Scandinavian feeder routes.
“We are in constant communication with terminal operators and are doing everything possible to manage delays and maintain service reliability,” Maersk assured customers.
However, Amstutz emphasized that alternative ports offer limited relief. “There are ports with slightly less congestion, but we’re still talking about just a day or two of difference. And because ports like Rotterdam are often the first port of call, shifting to another port often negates any time savings,” he noted.
Historically, Mediterranean ports have offered a workaround for congested Northern European ports—particularly for shipments to Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. But Amstutz said this option has been undermined by ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea, which have extended transit times to the Mediterranean as well.
“At this point, there are very few viable alternatives for ocean freight into Northern Europe,” he concluded.
Source: theloadstar