Congestion in UK Ports
Congestion in UK Ports
Numerous sources are reporting that sudden increases in the demand for container shipping are causing congestion in European seaports, notably in the UK, with importers stocking up for Christmas, and in advance of the expected Brexit chaos. The three largest UK container ports (Felixstowe, Southampton and London) are experiencing the worst congestion, not helped by the accumulation inside the ports of “long-stay” containers holding unused PPE. Consequently freight rates have risen sharply into the UK, and shipping lines are landing their containers in Continental ports such as Antwerp, Le Havre, Rotterdam and Bremerhaven in order to feed the cargo to ports such as Liverpool. Meanwhile there are difficulties in returning empty containers, and there is a shortage of options for shipping lines.