Port congestion is intensifying across major global trade routes, with Northern Europe’s key hubs

Port congestion is intensifying across major global trade routes, with Northern Europe’s key hubs—including Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Bremerhaven—facing escalating backlogs and severe inland transport disruptions, according to Drewry.

Bremerhaven has been particularly affected due to labour shortages during the recent holiday period, while low water levels on the Rhine have curtailed barge capacity out of Antwerp and Rotterdam, compounding logistical strain.

At the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, operations were further strained by a nationwide strike on May 20, which temporarily disrupted vessel traffic. Kallo and Boudewijn Locks were affected, with Boudewijn Lock later restored to full operation by the evening. Although the impact was short-lived, it added pressure to already congested conditions across the region, maritime research and consulting firm Drewry said in its Logistics Executive Briefing.