Mike King, Special Correspondent | Aug 31, 2012 9:33AM EDT
Ports in the Middle East are still suffering congestion after the surge in imports during Ramadan and the Eid al Fitr festivities earlier this month.
A spokesperson for container line CMA CGM said ports in Saudi Arabia were most impacted.
Delays at Jeddah, a major transshipment port in Saudi Arabia, are having a ripple impact around the region as vessels miss berthing windows, a DHL spokesperson said.
Feeder services to the ports of Aden and Hodeidah in Yemen are currently being delayed for three to five days because of the backlog at Jeddah.
“Dammam and Riyadh are also facing delays, and shippers have imposed a contingency surcharge to cope with the increased costs,” she said.
“Ramadan created an increase of volume, as goods needed to be imported and exported to and from the Middle East before its end, and this has effectively caused congestion in terminals, customs and roads,” the CMA CGM spokesperson said.
Contact Mike King at michael@borderline.eu.com.
