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The biggest variable in the maritime export logistics market in the second half of the year has emerged, with 50 vessels blocked and a 90-hour delay.
Jul 01,2025
At the start of the second half of 2025, port congestion will become a huge variable in the maritime logistics market. Antwerp, Hamburg and Rotterdam, Europe's three largest container ports, have been on the verge of serious congestion since June, according to multiple European media coverage.
Dextron, the world's largest seaborne freight carrier, has issued an urgent warning to customers that the port of Antwerp has been affected by the recent national strike, which caused a complete halt to terminal operations on 25 June, exacerbating a previous backlog of strikes. Caesar Luikenaar, chief executive of WEC Lines in the Netherlands, said Europe's major port hubs were already overcrowded.
The knock-on effect of congestion is soaring costs and frequent delays. Limited trucking capacity coupled with a limited amount of containers arriving at port in a short period of time forced containers to be temporarily stored, resulting in additional costs and long delays. The delayed arrival of large container ships also affected inland ship operations, with some terminals even cancelling fixed hours for inland waterways flights.
According to Dentsu, barge congestion in Antwerp led to delays of up to 90 hours, while the average waiting time for ships in Rotterdam was 77 hours. On 25 June, nearly 50 ships were delayed outside Antwerp due to a strike by local pilots. A suspension of departure services at major hub ports could cost ports millions of dollars and lengthen the time it takes to clear the backlog, according to the World Freight Organization.
Belgium's main unions are planning a series of nationwide strikes this month to protest against government policies affecting passenger, freight and airport flights. Antwerp - The Port Authority of Bruges is concerned about the long-term consequences of the supply chain.
A number of logistics companies have revealed to the Financial Times that Trump's tariff war is one of the root causes of these problems. The war has forced container shipping companies to reroute routes and adjust their networks to adapt to the rapid changes in global trade flows. Shipping analysts say congestion at major European ports is likely to persist into October and could spill over into Asian and North American ports.
The latest statistics from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange show that from May 16 to June 27, sea freight rates from Shanghai to base ports in Europe soared from USD1154 / Teu to USD2030 / TeU in just one and a half months, a 76% increase, with port congestion being one of the key drivers.
This round of port congestion in Europe, both in terms of duration and scope of impact, is likely to be the biggest uncertainty factor in the second half of the global maritime market.
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