With tariffs and other issues turning the TEUs on and off like a faucet, Europe’s ports are facing both the problems of congestion and alternatively issues associated with disruption such as blank sailings.
Europe’s major ports are facing a number of long-term challenges, notably decarbonization, with the electrification of cargo handling equipment and vehicles and the adoption of renewable energy sources to power their facilities more sustainably.
However, of far more immediate concern to these vital trade hubs is the impact of a prolonged period of operational difficulties which has resulted in vessel congestion and the creation of bottlenecks in the logistics chain, hampering the movement of goods – all this as the season of peak demand approaches.
‘Fragmented’ Arrival of Vessels
Another factor is uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies which has added pressure to global supply chains and put ocean shipping schedules into a state of flux, amid a distinct lack of market visibility.
The reshuffling of global shipping alliances is also having a disruptive effect. For example, the newly-formed Gemini alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd has introduced a hub-and-spoke model, reducing direct calls by large vessels and increasing reliance on smaller feeder ships.
This has led to a more ‘fragmented’ arrival of vessels at some European ports. Moreover, the restructuring is being implemented in stages, requiring ports to handle both new and existing alliance volumes simultaneously.
Another consequence of the alliance reshuffle is that ships may not always arrive on time or at all, with last-minute adjustments made to services to avoid the worst of the congestion, leaving containers on the wharf. Inland transport, be it by road, river or rail, have suffered serious knock-on effects.
Low water levels on the Rhine, affecting barge-borne container traffic, as well as strikes and labor shortages, have added to the congestion too.
‘Almost Permanent Strain on Logistics Chain’
Commenting on operating conditions at Antwerp, whose container throughput reached 13.5 million in 2024 and is Europe’s second box port behind Rotterdam, a spokesperson for the Belgian maritime gateway told AJOT: “There is currently no large-scale chaos but there is prolonged, increased congestion and pressure. This leads to short-term operational inefficiencies, but our systems continue to function within the planned buffers.
“It has been ongoing for months and is causing an almost permanent strain on the logistics chain. The port system is operating but with tight efficiency margins and reduced planning flexibility, especially now that several terminals are reaching their capacity limits and are fully occupied.”
By contrast, its Dutch neighbor appeared to play down the vessel congestion – perhaps an indication that the situation fluctuates significantly.
“We did face several challenges in the first quarter of the year, such as the transition to new schedules, high call rates, the introduction of new alliances, strikes and adverse weather conditions. But currently the delays are under control,” a spokesperson for the port of Rotterdam explained to AJOT.
“If we take an example from early-June, one large container vessel waited two days before entering the Dutch port and six others waited for one day or less. It’s busy but under control.”
At the end of May, Maersk announced that “due to the current operational constraints” its trans-Atlantic TA5 service would no longer call in Rotterdam from 25 June onwards, sailing instead straight from Felixstowe, in the UK, to Hamburg.
‘Cascading Effect’
Freight market analysts, Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, noted that the likes of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg and Bremerhaven, in Germany, are now grappling with escalating backlogs, as containerships face mounting delays.
“This growing congestion is having a cascading effect across the supply chain with reliability deteriorating, logistics costs rising and inland transport becoming increasingly complicated. There is also a possibility that a shortage of empty equipment could arise in Europe as a result of a surge of demand in the trans-Pacific eastbound trade,” Senior Manager, Hind Chitty, told AJOT in an interview dated early-June.
Drewry’s Container Capacity Insight tracker revealed that berth waiting times at Antwerp had risen from 32 hours in Week 13 (31 March 2025) to 44 hours in Week 20 (19 May) - a 37% increase. Similarly, Hamburg has seen a 49% surge, with waiting times climbing from 34 to 50 hours, while Bremerhaven saw 77% increase, over the same period from 13 hours to 23 hours, she added.
Provisional data for Week 21 (26 May) showed berth times at Bremerhaven continuing to lengthen with a week over week increase of 32% to 30 hours.
“The issue is not confined to Europe. Similar trends have unfolded at key Chinese ports, particularly in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Qingdao while congestion has also intensified in the U.S., especially at the ports of Los Angeles and New York,” Chitty noted.
Asked when operating conditions at European ports might start to improve, she replied: “While it remains difficult to pinpoint an exact timeline, port congestion in Europe is expected to ease following the peak season, likely by August – provided no major labor disruptions occur, and key market dynamics begin to stabilize.”
However, at Antwerp there is concern that the protracted disruption could exert structural pressures on the port in the longer term.
“If buffers disappear and congestion persists, more serious problems could arise. That is why it is essential that we continue to invest in additional container capacity and more robust infrastructure, so that we can continue to absorb shocks and grow as a global port in the future,” the spokesperson said.
New Investment
Despite the uncertain operating environment at European ports, Dubai-owned DP World is forging ahead with its investment drive in infrastructure development. In May it announced plans to spend $1 billion at the London Gateway logistics hub to build two new shipping berths and a second rail terminal.
The expansion will create 400 new jobs and move the port closer to becoming the UK’s biggest container port by the end of the decade, it said.
‘Military Mobility’
While European ports have more than enough on their plates in managing a prolonged period of operational difficulties and not really knowing how long they will persist, other issues are demanding attention, the obvious one being decarbonization.
Another is military mobility, with an outline of the European Commission’s 2025 Port Strategy putting the accent on ports integrating ‘defense logistics’ into their activities to support Europe’s security framework.
This marks a significant shift in maritime policy but what it adds up to exactly for European ports remains unclear. Nevertheless, they have been left to reflect on how they can adapt to a dual role encompassing trade and security, and where the funding to pay for it will come from.
Stricter Controls on Foreign Ownership?
Another aspect of the security issue is the European Commission’s concern that Chinese firms have too prominent a footprint across the bloc’s maritime gateways.
According to the Politico EU news platform, large groups such as COSCO and China Merchants, as well as Hong Kong-based Hutchison, a leading port investor, developer and operator, now hold stakes in more than 30 terminals across the European Union.
At a meeting with industry representatives in May, EU Transport Commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said that it was imperative that Europe’s ports “reconsider security … and examine foreign presence more carefully.”
A Defense White Paper has also floated the idea of stricter controls on foreign ownership of “critical transport infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, co-operation between European and Chinese ports goes on apace. Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven, also in Germany and Valencia, in Spain, recently teamed up with the Chinese port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, the world’s largest in terms of cargo throughput, to create ‘green’ shipping corridors.
Together, they will collaborate with shipping lines, cargo owners, energy providers, research bodies and other stakeholders to promote zero-carbon technology, clean fuels and ‘smart’ management systems on certain trade lanes.
