Northern Europe Ports Face Rising Congestion and Delays

Congestion is tightening its grip across key Northern European ports, with Maersk warning customers this week of increasing schedule disruptions. Antwerp-Bruges and Bremerhaven are identified as major choke points, with data showing 41% of vessels at Antwerp and 29% at Bremerhaven waiting for a berth.

At Antwerp, operations are heavily disrupted, with a seven-day average vessel waiting time of 1.81 days, yard utilisation at 96%, and reefer storage at 112%. In response, the port has reduced the export delivery window from seven to five days to ease terminal congestion. Backlogs from a March strike continue to impact operations.
Rail transport to and from Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Rotterdam, and Duisburg is also strained due to unplanned line closures caused by a landslide near Hannover, forcing lengthy detours and train stoppages. This has a knock-on effect on services in and out of Hamburg as well.

Additional challenges include low water levels across the continental hinterland, ongoing strikes at Le Havre, and the labour shortages leading into the Easter holiday period. Maersk urged shippers to clear discharged cargo swiftly and deliver export units as late as possible to help terminals recover.

Port authorities noted that high volumes are also driven by shifts in shipping alliances and anticipation of US import tariffs, with disruptions expected to continue for the coming weeks.