Port of Antwerp Forms Barge Delay Task Force

Antwerp Port Authority has formed a task force to tackle persistent lengthy delays along its inland waterways, the freight publication The Loadstar reported March 17. The port told stakeholders it would be working with private operators ASV and Alfaport to address the congestion crisis, amid reports that two ocean carriers had diverted their ships away from Antwerp due to the issues. One source reported warnings from Maersk over the issue. 

Northern European ports, the world’s busiest, have experienced persistent barge delays for a decade. According to The Loadstar, ports and terminals were not prepared for the arrival of ultra large container vessels (ULCVs). The result has been delays and container imbalances, as empty containers stack up in yards that did not add enough space. 

Barge operator Contargo said delays at Rotterdam had climbed for the third consecutive week and were now up to 108 hours, but at Antwerp in recent weeks, delays had improved after hitting 94 hours in the final week of February, following storms Eunice and Franklin, and were now hovering at the 27-hour mark, considered by many now to be “standard.”