Singapore, Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg are suffering from unprecedented freight congestion, which negatively impacts global logistics. Logistics providers and manufacturers from all over the world are looking for solutions. It's time to reconsider your supply chain in the face of such massive disruptions.
To secure your shipments, learn in this guide how to optimally plan, track supplies in real time, and look for alternative routes.
Singapore: Updates Overview
As a major transshipment point for smooth logistics across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, the Singapore hub has faced immense pressure. Container dwell time averages 7.1 days, more than double the normal processing time of 3-5 days, disrupting schedules and affecting commercial lanes worldwide.
Causes of delays:
- Peak cargo volumes exceeding final throughput capacity
- Important terminals with an acute shortage of warehouse space
- Scheduling problems for trade lanes connecting Asia and Europe
An unprecedented 233 vessels are expected to arrive at the port this week. Compare this with Shanghai, where 134 ships will arrive; Ningbo, 166; and Busan in South Korea, 150. Only 96 ships will call at Rotterdam and 79 at Antwerp.
Northern Europe Updates Overview
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the main logistics hub in the European region that is currently experiencing the greatest impact of delays, increasing the period of container dwell time to 9.1 days, making Rotterdam the most congested port in recent years.
- Vessels are waiting up to 1 week in line for a berth;
- The delay for barges is currently 76 hours, and for feeder vessels, it is about 72 hours; both are creating obstacles to domestic and short sea trade;
- There are barges waiting 12-48 hours and feeders waiting 24-48 hours at the ECT terminal;
- At the RWG terminal, all berths are used by either mainline vessels or feeder vessels, which has increased berth utilization to 80%. The terminal refuses to accept empty containers back. Currently, the transshipment boxes have been standing for about 12 days.
As a result, supply chains are breaking under the pressure of component shortages, leading to stock-out warnings from retailers to German automakers.
Cause of delays:
- Unexpected labor strikes caused a 50% reduction in capacity at the Hutchison Ports Delta II terminal
Antwerp
The time spent by cargo at Belgium's main gate is 6.7 days, which is twice the average handling time under normal circumstances. Import and transshipment cargo acceptance has been halted, and export truck access has been reduced to 30% of average capacity.
The saturation of the terminal's capacity led DP World Terminal to implement emergency protocols:
- Reducing waiting time for export trucks by 70%.
- Prioritizing berth allocation to speed up export cargo handling and transshipment
- Refusal to accept further goods for import or transshipment from neighboring ports
Hamburg
February 26-28 were marked by a wave of strikes that resulted in enormous capacity at the container terminal. Rejection of empty container, acceptance. Hamburg, as the main container port in Germany, has fully booked berths with restrictions on the acceptance of export cargo. Freight transshipment has to take into account significant delays or look for alternatives to the port of Hamburg.
French Ports
The wave of congestion in March 2025 did not spare French ports, caused by as many as 8 planned 4-hour strikes (March 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 24, and 28). In addition, there will be a 72-hour total shutdown on March 18-20, which is also taken into account by shipowners in their planning.
Consider for shipping & trading businesses
Flexible choice of transportation mode: To overcome delays, choose higher-cost air freight, which is a cost-effective solution for perishable goods for which time premiums are critical. Also, consider the China-Europe Rail Express, also known as the Eurasian Railway Corridor, which is cheaper than air and faster than sea transit. Instantly get your quote and make sure that modal transportation planning is not as complicated as it seems.
Consider delays for transportation across Europe: Include extra time in your planning and include disruptions in sea and rail capacity (disruptions in rail service between Rotterdam and Basel are scheduled for April 18-27).
Empty containers: Warehouse operations need to be adjusted and well-planned, given that the terminals have stopped accepting empty container returns, which can come unexpectedly if you are not ready.
Proper routing with alternatives: Effective route planning includes the search for alternatives. Currently, the following options are relevant:
- Spanish ports of Barcelona and Valencia, as well as Italian ports of Genoa and La Spezia, are being used to differentiate transportation in Southern Europe instead of French ports.
- Baltic ports of Hamburg, Gdynia, and Helsinki for cargo carriage across Eastern Europe, as well as Bremerhaven for road transportation instead of Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Manage freight rates:
- Implement an optimal split of 70:30 or 60:40 for term contracts and spot rates.
- Find trusted carriers with flexible contractual terms to respond to changes in the supply chain in a timely manner
- Calculate freight rates with the Logistics Explorer and book with SeaRates for transparency on the total delivery cost, not just the freight rate
- Check freight index fluctuations over time for specific destinations by region, country, city, etc.
Don't miss any shifts in your shipments
Try Tracking System now to get full transparency into your supply chain. With such a high level of visibility, you can:
- Trace by container, BL, booking, AWB number, equipment ID, or parcel tracking number;
- Get real-time updates on your parcels and cargo shipping by sea, air, road, and rail 24/7;
- Track shipments supported by more than 500 worldwide carriers in one tool;
- Obtain details about routes, transit time, Predictive ETA & other logistics events, voyages, and more;
- Forecast potential delays and manage expectations by proactively planning your logistics and trade;
- Instantly notify customers and partners about delays, generating unique access to tracking results card.
Find out more about Tracking System web integration and API connection to scale your trading.
How to manage a supply chain easily, transparently, and digitally? Contact the SeaRates team at [email protected] for customized logistics solutions.
