Hutchison Ports will have to keep APM Terminals Rotterdam at arm’s length for a while once the sale is approved, with volume guarantees and a ban on firing staff also included the deal.

Asian gateways continued to dominate the global port market in 2018, handling more than three-quarters of the total throughput of the top 50 container ports worldwide.

Shippers can expect barge congestion surcharges for containers moved through Rotterdam and Antwerp to increase as barge operators report persistent and often lengthy waiting times.

Executives from Imperial Logistics International participated in a wide-ranging question and answer session concerning the mounting intermodal transport challenges facing shippers and forwarders moving cargo around Europe.

“Unfortunately, a no-deal scenario is still quite possible,” according to European Council President Donald Tusk. “But if we act responsibly, we can avoid a catastrophe.”

The Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center, which coordinates vessel traffic visiting terminals at the port of Hamburg, is launching collaborative projects to help determine if it is meaningful to continue bilateral information exchanges or to replace it with a central data hub to support improved terminal asset utilization and liner route and network planning.

The new loop with calls at Antwerp, Dunkirk, Teesport, and Grangemouth will start with weekly sailings every Wednesday (Antwerp) and Thursday (Dunkirk) on Aug 15.

At mid-2018, nearly every segment of Europe’s supply chain is straining to keep pace with strong container shipping volume growth — particularly barge and inland haulage. The good news is Europe’s impressive trade growth story continues — a welcomed economic rejuvenation.

Asia-Europe shippers are looking more at southern European ports as intermodal bottlenecks slow container delivery through some of the big North Europe gateways.

Despite a container consolidation partnership among marine terminals, inland shipping companies, and inland centers, barge operators say there's been little improvement in reducing barge delays during peak times — something one intermodal services provider argued was due to not having enough handling capacity during peak times.

The stronger European economy with its rising container volumes and next-generation technology has exposed a weakness in the continent’s supply chain — and it’s one that will likely require the input of all stakeholders to eliminate.

The strengthening economy, the increased volume from mega-ships, growing transhipment, and a fragmented, complex feeder network are combining to delay resolution of Rotterdam’s ongoing barge congestion problem, with the latest barge wait times ranging from 48 to 72 hours.

Rotterdam is addressing bottlenecks caused by inland waterway vessels that handle 3 million TEU a year at Europe's busiest port.

The delays are all-the-more glaring given the end of the peak season.

The Port of Rotterdam has dangled a financial carrot before the container supply chain.

The port of Rotterdam has consolidated its position as Europe's leading container port after several years of sluggish growth.