Industry-wide disruptions due to severe weather across South-West and Western Europe

Update 2 - including impact on flows and terminal operations across Northern Europe

As severe weather conditions continue to cause industry-wide disruptions, we would like to provide you with an update of the current situation and its impact on operations.

Although weather conditions continue to remain challenging, we expect to see some improvement in the Bay of Biscay that would provide an opportunity for the safe crossing of vessels. For the passage to be considered safe, weather conditions must improve and remain stable for at least 24 hours - the typical duration of the Bay of Biscay transit. The next safe transit windows are expected from the evening of 31 January, and again on 2 February. Our teams continue to monitor the weather forecast and plan vessel transits accordingly while prioritising the safety of our crew, our customers’ cargo, and our vessels. This situation will continue to impact vessel arrivals, as well as cargo flows into Northern Europe.

Our teams, together with the respective terminals, continue to do their utmost to resume operations in the West Mediterranean. Weather conditions have been improving, and the terminals in the region expect to resume operations as of 30 January at the latest, weather permitting. Please note that further closures are likely next week, due to another front on the way to the region. We continue to monitor the conditions and will keep customers informed of any new developments.

To support healthy yard density, we continue to kindly ask that customers pick up import containers as soon as possible. We continue to update schedules in the system as soon as any contingency plans or schedule changes are finalized. Please sign up for ETA notifications to receive the most recent information. If you require support moving cargo from the terminal to its final destination, our Inland Transport Solutions team remains available to assist.

South-West and Western Europe are experiencing severe winter weather conditions, including heavy storms and snowfall. The severe conditions are causing significant industry-wide disruptions with vessels sheltering and terminals having to stop operations or working with reduced productivity.

As a result, productivity at terminals and depots has been reduced, while snow and icy road conditions are causing traffic congestion and delays for inland transportation to and from terminals. These factors are contributing to longer waiting times for both import and export cargo, as well as increasing yard congestion at several terminals.

At the time of publishing, terminals in the West Mediterranean have stopped operations with no clear indication of when operations can start again. This also impacts cargo flows to and from North Europe. While the Bay of Biscay has seen some improvement in weather conditions, these are expected to worsen again throughout the week. This situation is affecting the entire industry, and due to the severity and uncertainty of the conditions, we expect delays and closures to continue to impact vessels and terminals across the board.

Our teams are working hard to minimise the impact on your supply chain with contingency plans, schedule recoveries, and other measures within our power. The teams are also in close contact with partner carriers, third party terminals, and other stakeholders to reduce the impact of this situation in a joint effort. We continue to update ETAs in the system based on best available information and encourage customers to sign up for ETA notifications for most recent information.

To help ease the pressure on terminals and minimise the risk of further delays, we kindly ask that import containers are collected as early as possible. Prompt pick-up will support smoother operations and help reduce congestion and pressure on the terminal. When delivering containers to terminals, please ensure that snow and ice are removed as thoroughly as possible to allow for safe and efficient handling. If you require support moving cargo from the terminal to its final destination, our Inland Transport Solutions team remains available to assist.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during these challenging conditions. We will communicate any new developments as soon as possible.

Should you have any questions, or require further assistance, please get in touch with your local representative.