PORT congestion in northern Europe, evidenced by increased waiting times for berth space are causing mounting concern in the US and Asia, reports Bloomberg.
Waiting times jumped 77 per cent in Bremerhaven, between late March and mid-May, according to Drewry, a maritime consultancy in London.
The delays rose 37 per cent in Antwerp and 49 per cent in Hamburg over the same period, with Rotterdam and Britain's Felixstowe also showing longer waits.
Labour shortages and low water levels on the Rhine are the main culprits, hindering barge traffic to and from inland locations.
Compounding the constraints is US President Donald Trump's cutback on 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports, which has pulled forward shipping demand.
'Port delays are stretching transit times, disrupting inventory planning and pushing shippers to carry extra stock,' Drewry said.
'Adding to the pressure, the transpacific eastbound trade is showing signs of an early peak season, fuelled by a 90-day pause in US-China tariffs, set to expire on Aug 14.'
Similar patterns are emerging in Shenzhen, China, as well as Los Angeles and New York, 'where the number of containerships awaiting berth has been increasing since' late April, it said.
Rolf Habben Jansen, chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, said although he has seen recent signs of improvement at European ports, he expects it will take 'another six to eight weeks before we have that under control'.
US tariffs - combined with sudden threats and truces - make it difficult for importers and exporters to calibrate their orders, causing unseasonal swings in demand. For shipping lines, those translate into delays and higher costs requiring freight rate hikes.
SeaNews Turkey
Waiting times jumped 77 per cent in Bremerhaven, between late March and mid-May, according to Drewry, a maritime consultancy in London.
The delays rose 37 per cent in Antwerp and 49 per cent in Hamburg over the same period, with Rotterdam and Britain's Felixstowe also showing longer waits.
Labour shortages and low water levels on the Rhine are the main culprits, hindering barge traffic to and from inland locations.
Compounding the constraints is US President Donald Trump's cutback on 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports, which has pulled forward shipping demand.
'Port delays are stretching transit times, disrupting inventory planning and pushing shippers to carry extra stock,' Drewry said.
'Adding to the pressure, the transpacific eastbound trade is showing signs of an early peak season, fuelled by a 90-day pause in US-China tariffs, set to expire on Aug 14.'
Similar patterns are emerging in Shenzhen, China, as well as Los Angeles and New York, 'where the number of containerships awaiting berth has been increasing since' late April, it said.
Rolf Habben Jansen, chief executive of Hapag-Lloyd, said although he has seen recent signs of improvement at European ports, he expects it will take 'another six to eight weeks before we have that under control'.
US tariffs - combined with sudden threats and truces - make it difficult for importers and exporters to calibrate their orders, causing unseasonal swings in demand. For shipping lines, those translate into delays and higher costs requiring freight rate hikes.
SeaNews Turkey
