Container congestion in the North Sea

In the German Bight alone, 19 container ships are currently waiting to unload their cargo. This makes the congestion in the North Sea the most severe worldwide. Besides lockdowns in China and labor disputes in Great Britain, staff shortages and warning strikes in German ports are also contributing factors. This is far more than just a bothersome disruption to supply chains. Around 90 percent of global freight traffic is handled by container shipping. Its importance to the economy is correspondingly high – both in Germany and worldwide. Clothing, machinery, vehicles, food, and bulk goods are currently often not reaching retailers at all or only with significant delays.

Experts do not expect the situation to ease in the short term. This is partly due to the fact that ships from Shanghai will soon be arriving at German ports, which will exacerbate the situation in Europe for at least the next five to six weeks. After that, it could take several more months for transport routes to return to normal. We will, of course, keep you updated here and are happy to advise you personally.