Port congestion problems and disruptions in the logistics chain could contribute to slowing down the growth in traffic volumes throughout the rest of the year, according to Hapag Lloyd’s Chief Executive Officer Rolf Habben Jansen.
According to Lloyds List, the German company’s CEO stated during a briefing that it is plausible to expect that traffic volumes would not increase as much as they did in the first half of the year.
Carriers are struggling to find available capacity due to delays in scheduled sailings. Mr. Jansen pointed out that container pick-up times have increased by 20%. Basically, shipping companies need 20% more containers than normal to handle the same traffic flows.
Waiting times in front of ports are still significant, especially in the American ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. However, there are also disruptions on the East Coast, in ports like Savannah. Picking up empties and returning them to Asia is becoming increasingly difficult.
Translation by Giles Foster
