Thursday, disagreement regarding a wage raise for German port workers unleashed a 24-hour strike at a number of German ports. German ports are already heavily strained by volumes of import containers piling up.
Work stoppage may worsen bottlenecks in major northern European ports, predicts Hapag-Lloyd. Strikes ”complicate the current situation” with large freight volumes.
Monday, terminals in Antwerp operated at reduced capacity in order to avoid being hit by a national strike paralyzing Belgian airports and public transportation.
Productivity in Northern European container ports has fallen markedly for the last three years despite a decline in the number of port calls, according to Drewry.
While the situation has eased in most places as workers return, further stress on the supply chain could materialize as the key port of Shanghai tentatively emerges from a two-month lockdown and cargo backlogs there are cleared.
It may be several months before sea mines are removed from waters surrounding Ukraine’s main ports, according to the UN. Hundreds of seafarers continue to be stranded due to the Russian invasion.
The Port of Los Angeles expects to see container volumes increasing as peak season approaches early and contract talks are heating up between West Coast dockworkers and their employers.
Asset divestments for billions of dollars. Office shutdowns. Canceled agreements. Rerouted voyages. ShippingWatch provides an overview of how 100 days of war in Ukraine have upended the global shipping industry.
A new study by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) reveals that key ports on the outskirts of the EU may be negatively affected by even a low price on CO2, because container carriers can benefit from calling at a neighboring port outside the union.
The sanctions would reportedly forbid the purchase of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia delivered to member states by sea but include a temporary exemption for pipeline crude. The sanctions have yet to be formally adopted by all 27 nations.
The sweeping moves, which will apply to around 22.5 million of the city’s 25 million population, lays the groundwork for a fuller return to normalcy, even as China remains committed to a harsh Covid policy.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have for months now been postponing a heralded dwell fee on containers. Now, they do so again.
The port of Shanghai is slowly returning to normal levels despite congestion still remaining high for this time of year, a report from database VesselsValue shows.
Negotiations regarding a new labor agreement for port workers on the US west coast began May 10, but according to Port of Long Beach’s CEO, Mario Cordero, a deal will not be in place by July 1.
Shortage of port workers and truck drivers causes significant delays for carriers in Northern European ports, according to Alphaliner. The situation has worsened.
The HHLA terminal in Odesa is closed due to the war in Ukraine and has caused a drop in container throughput at the German port operator’s international terminals. However, the company’s business did improve in the first quarter.
A majority of the EU Parliament wants to send income from CO2 quotas back into shipping. ”The important thing is that the money [...] will not be gone but given back,” states central German negotiator to ShippingWatch. ECSA supports the proposal.
Oceangoing ships calling at port in Singapore are met with a smaller port fee if sailing on green fuels, according to MPA. The biggest discount is given to vessels powered by carbon-free fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen.
Port bottlenecks that have increased supply-chain congestion because of the war in Ukraine and lockdowns in China may be showing signs of easing, according to one of the world’s biggest shipping companies.
Almost 500 seafarers remain on board a total of 84 ships stranded at Ukrainian ports. One of them is a tanker from Maersk Tankers. 1,500 seafarers in total have been evacuated thus far, according to the IMO.
The Port of Rotterdam, the largest in Europe, will be under pressure for the next few years due to factors including high demand and an increasing lack of labour. 8,000 positions are unfilled, says CEO Allard Castelein to ShippingWatch.
Closing the Chinese city indefinitely markedly reduces semi truck capacity, Maersk notes. It’s a ”scant consolation” for the container industry that the Port of Shanghai remains open because the vicinity is strongly affected by the metropolis’ complete lockdown, deems analyst.
The CEO of Maersk’s port operator retires, 55 years old. He plans to spend more time with his family and travel for pleasure after an intense career.
Maersk’s investment in Russian container terminals via Global Ports connects to major companies, and divesting equity ”must be done properly,” says incoming APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen to ShippingWatch. The decision to sell the shares is final, he says.
Although a labor agreement between US west coast port workers and their employers is unlikely to be reached by July when the current contract ends, neither of the parties foresee an imminent strike.
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