Container congestion in the North Sea
In the German Bight alone, 19 container ships are currently waiting to unload their goods. This makes the congestion in the North Sea the most serious in the world. In addition to lockdowns in China and labor disputes in the UK, staff shortages and warning strikes in German ports are also reasons for this development. This is far more than just an inconvenient disruption to supply chains. After all, around 90 percent of global goods traffic is handled by container shipping. Its importance for the economy is correspondingly high - in Germany and worldwide. Clothing, machinery, vehicles, foodstuffs and bulk goods are currently often delayed or not available at all.
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 lead to a worsening of the situation in Europe for at least the next five to six weeks. After that, it may take another few months for the transport routes to return to normal. We will of course keep you up to date here and will be happy to advise you personally.