Port Congestion | 7-Week Line-Up: Strikes in Multiple Ports, Severe Delays in Mombasa Port

Mombasa Port Congestion

Mombasa Port is currently facing severe delays. The density of the container yard has exceeded expectations, and there are also challenges with the equipment, which have led to delays in both vessel berthing and departure.

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Additionally, due to the waiting times of vessels from Shanghai, Ningbo, and Singapore, routes arriving in Mombasa Port from East Asia have also encountered delays. Vessels originally scheduled to arrive on Thursday are now expected to berth on Friday evening, and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) is likely to be further adjusted, which could potentially delay the unloading of imported goods.

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Chittagong Port Congestion

Chittagong Port is experiencing severe congestion in its outer anchorage and container yard due to worker strikes. As of February 10, 14 container ships were waiting in the outer anchorage, with some ships waiting for up to 5 days.

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Port officials reported that at least six vessels were forced to delay their departure by one or two days and ultimately failed to load nearly 2,000 designated containers, which has exacerbated the congestion at the inland container depots (ICDs). The port yard currently holds approximately 37,000 TEUs, with the handling capacity reaching 80%. The volume of export containers at the inland container depots is more than double the usual amount, and it is estimated that it will take at least one week to return to normal. Officials estimate that it will take at least two weeks to clear the backlog of goods.

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Rotterdam Port Congestion

Rotterdam Port has been mired in congestion due to a contractual dispute at the?Hutchison Delta II Terminal.Delta II Terminal. Work stopped at the terminal on February 9 and remained suspended till this morning, February 11. Even after the workers went back and the gates were reopened, they were said to be staging slowdowns, significantly diminishing the terminal's handling capacity. This terminal, which handles about a quarter of Rotterdam Port's container business, has seen its operations severely disrupted.

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Hutchison Port confirmed that the terminal is currently facing delays and extended waiting times in handling various operations. The two unions involved have indicated that this will be a "long-term matter" and hinted at the possibility of more strike actions in the future.

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French Strikes Cause Port Congestion

Ports in France have been severely congested and disrupted due to strike actions triggered by pension reform. The strikes have affected multiple ports, including the major container gateways of Le Havre and Marseille. The strike activities are scheduled for several dates in February, including four-hour daily strikes and 48-hour long strikes.

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The strikes have brought port operations to a standstill, causing delays in cargo transportation and increased logistics costs, with an estimated daily economic loss of up to 40 million euros. Moreover, a significant volume of cargo bound for France has been diverted to other European ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Genoa, further exacerbating congestion at these ports.