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Seal the port! Operations shutdown! Protests erupt in big ports in Europe
Feb 21,2024
According to Reuters, the second largest container port in Europe-the port of Antwerp in Belgium (Port Of Antwerp) was blocked by protesters and vehicles due to the blockade of the access road to the port, causing the port operations to be severely affected and forced to shut down.
The port of Antwerp is blocked, port operations are suspended!
Hundreds of striking Belgian farmers have blocked roads around the port of Antwerp, demanding that government authorities improve the welfare and working conditions of their farmers. Roads and tunnels leading to the port have been blocked by about 500 tractors, authorities said.
Farmers are demonstrating because they feel disadvantaged by dissatisfaction with government agricultural policies, falling incomes and, most importantly, European environmental standards. They are demanding looser environmental regulations and better protection against flooding the market with cheap imports.
Stephan Van Fraechem, head of the Alfaport VOKA Port Operators Association, said: "Port operations are severely disrupted".
"In the case of farmers driving tractors blocking the road, the trucks have been shut down, so they cannot deliver or pick up goods, and employees are only allowed to enter after a long wait."
It is claimed that as the protests continue, this cost the companies working in the port millions of euros, although they were not involved in the conflict.
The protests have further exacerbated the plight of port operators, especially the recent attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
He noted that the attack had caused shipping lines to move away from the Suez Canal in favor of longer routes. But when the goods arrived at the port, they could not be loaded and unloaded in time because of the strike. This will also lead to delays in the handling of shipments.
A spokesman for the port said, "Many roads have been blocked, traffic has been disrupted and there are long queues of trucks. The supply chain has been disrupted and ships that are now working beyond their normal schedule cannot unload when they arrive at the port. This is a matter of great concern."
Protests erupt in Europe
In early February, a similar incident occurred in another Belgian port. According to the Belgian News Agency (Belga) local time on February 2, about 2000 trucks were trapped in the port area of Zeebrugge due to the blockade of protesting farmers.
According to the report, since January 30 local time, protesting farmers have blocked access to the port area of Zeebrugge, resulting in the detention of trucks in the area and the inability of truck drivers to obtain food or sanitation infrastructure. On 1 February, the governor of West Flanders, where Zeebrugge is located, Decalouy, declared a state of emergency in the province.
In addition to Belgium, more than a dozen other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, have recently launched a large number of strikes similar to those launched by farmers for benefits such as welfare and government subsidies. And these strikes use the blockade of ports as the biggest bargaining chip......
In response, the head of France's largest agricultural union, FNSEA, warned on Tuesday that the protests that hit the industry last month (blocking national highways) could be repeated if the government does not do more to meet their demands for better wages and working conditions.
On February 15, Italian farmers also held demonstrations in the capital Rome and other places to protest the adverse effects of EU policies on agriculture and asked the government to provide more support to agricultural operators.
In addition to Rome, peasant protests of varying sizes also took place in Italy's Veneto region, Tuscany region, Lazio region and Sicily region.
In early January, in protest against the German federal government's gradual reduction of subsidies for agricultural diesel. Angry German farmers' strike teams blocked the port of Hamburg, the country's largest port and the third largest container port in Europe, with tractors.
After the strike, shipping giant Maersk also issued an emergency notice to all customers at the first time, and warned that serious delays in inland transportation are expected, and goods that may not be delivered at all.
Once again, the European farmers' protests continue to spread throughout the EU. There are shippers who ship to Europe. Please also pay close attention to the delays and impact of the protests on the transportation of goods to avoid unnecessary losses.
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