In light of the ongoing congestion across North Europe, Sealand - A Maersk Company would like to provide customers with an update on the situation at some of our key ports: Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp.
Rest assured, our teams are working around the clock to keep supply chains moving as seamlessly as possible and minimise the impact on customers. We will continue to monitor the ever-changing circumstances in North Europe over the coming weeks and adapt as necessary to support your global logistics needs. Please return to this page for weekly updates on the developments across the region.
July 25, 2022 – Update 05
Following the 48-hour workforce strikes across German terminals, the negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) remain ongoing and are yet to come to a successful agreement. At this time, operations are running at full capacity, with no strikes planned until late August. Should there be any changes, we will keep you updated with the details as soon as possible.
The ongoing congestion across North European ports is leading to further disruptions and delays. This, in combination with last week’s strike, is causing an increased waiting time for our vessels to berth on the ports. Additionally, several rail routes faced technical issues which led to cancellations and postponements on landside transportation from our providers, as they could not reach the ports as originally planned. Our teams are actively working on clearing the backlogs and planning extra capacities to alleviate the situation for our customers.
We are committed to working on further reducing delays and hope to have your support in the process. To assist in alleviating congestion, we kindly ask that you please pick up your cargo from ports at the earliest time possible and return full export containers as close to the cargo cut-off times as possible. For inland haulage that you have booked or plan to book with us, please request a positioning date at least 7 days prior to arrival, or as early as possible.
We thank you for your understanding and support and remain committed to providing you the information needed to effectively manage your supply chain. Sealand teams are always at your disposal for additional support and to answer any questions you might have. Please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative should you have any concerns.
July 14, 2022 – Update 04
A.P. Moller – Maersk is preparing for a 48-hour workforce strike across terminals in Germany, after the latest round of CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) failed to reach a successful conclusion.
The strike is set to run from 6:00am on Thursday 14 July 2022 until 6:00am on Saturday 16 July 2022, directly affecting our operations in Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Wilhemshaven.
Please note that at this stage, negotiations are still ongoing between the parties and there could be changes to the scheduled strike action at the very last minute, including the possibility of an agreement being reached and the strike being cancelled. We will communicate any further information to you as soon as possible.
Having analysed all the information at our disposal right now, Sealand has decided to observe a full stoppage for rail, road and ocean freight for both import and export across our German terminals for the duration of the planned strike. We have evaluated all impacted vessels and have no plans to omit ports or stop operations. Our aim is to return to business as usual serving your global logistics needs from 6:00am on Saturday 16 June 2022.
In the interest of minimising any further disruption to your supply chain, Sealand we will be keeping a close eye on developments up to and during the next round of negotiations between trade union ver.di and ZDS, and will inform you of any updates as soon as they are available.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions. Our teams are always here to support you should you need further assistance.
July 08, 2022 – Update 03
The situation at ports across North Europe is continuing to pose challenges and cause disruption to the global supply chain. And although we are beginning to see some signs of stability at terminals in Germany, yard density levels and waiting times remain extremely high.
Sealand teams are working closely with ports and exploring a number of congestion-easing options – including in-transit/off-dock storage options for longstanding cargo – but we are anticipating challenges to continue throughout the summer months. This is likely to be further exacerbated by a reduction in resources and labour typically associated with the summer holiday season.
As such, we are once again politely asking customers to pick up full inbound units as quickly as possible and make empty containers available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times. We are very grateful for the collaborative efforts we’ve already seen from our customers to reduce congestion, and we hope we can continue to work together to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible.
Our teams have evaluated that redirecting shipments to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. If you have fewer resources to pick up containers during the summer months or high warehouse capacity levels, nearby Addicks & Kreye is also available for you to store your full containers and could once again ease congestion issues.
We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative to discuss options for your cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
Meanwhile, CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) are yet to reach a successful conclusion and could result in strike action at short notice. We will communicate any further developments with you as soon as possible.
Rest assured, our utmost priority is keeping customer disruption to a minimum and Sealand teams are working around the clock to ensure you have all the information and tools needed to manage your supply chain effectively. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
June 23, 2022 - Update 02
A 24-hour workforce strike across German terminals has now been confirmed, after the latest round of CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) failed to reach a successful conclusion.
The strike will run from 6:00am on Thursday 23 June 2022 until 6:00am on Friday 24 June 2022, directly affecting our operations in Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Wilhemshaven.
At this stage, Sealand will observe a full stoppage for rail, road and ocean freight for both import and export across our German terminals for the duration of the strike.
We are not planning any alterations to services at present and plan to return to business as usual serving your global logistics needs from 6:00am on Friday 24 June 2022.
Following the conclusion of the strike, we will assess the impact of the stoppage and will communicate any necessary service changes with you as soon as possible.
In the interest of minimising any further disruption to your supply chain, Sealand we will be keeping a close eye on developments up to and during the next round of meetings between trade union ver.di and ZDS, acknowledging that further strike action is possible.
June 15, 2022 - Update 01
At Bremerhaven, congestion has reached a critical level, with vast and continuous operational disruptions across the global supply chain impacting yard density levels and waiting times at the port.
Sealand is also keeping under review the ongoing talks between trade union Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), acknowledging the potential for strike action to take place and cause further disruption. We understand that the next round of discussions will occur on Tuesday 21st June and will evaluate our next steps in the event of any stoppages.
Sealand teams are working closely with the terminal and exploring a number of congestion-easing options, including reviewing several internal processes to help keep cargo flowing in and out effectively, as well as in-transit/off-dock storage options for longstanding cargo. Please do get in touch with your local customer service representative for more information on in-transit or off-dock storage solutions in Bremerhaven.
We would like to inform you on the possibility to store your full containers at Addicks & Kreye in direct proximity to the port. For further information, please contact your sales or customer service representative.
We are also assessing if redirecting your shipments to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to us to discuss your options for Bremerhaven cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the circumstances. To help alleviate the port congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
The continuously critical levels of terminal yard density have an adverse effect on the port and gate op-erations, which result in lower productivity in the terminals and potentially restricted gate opening times that limit our ability to take in more units (both full and empty). For that reason, Sealand are also evacu-ating longstanding units to off-dock facilities if not picked up within reasonable time frames. Your cus-tomer service representative will be contacting you if your containers are selected to be moved to an off-dock location.
In terms of inland transportation, we are seeing several external factors – including system outages and reduced scheduling on national holidays and unexpected railway disruptions – having a detrimental im-pact on road and rail services. Throughout May and June, there have been three incidents where the rail overhead lines have been compromised in Bremerhaven. These have caused unexpected disruption to rail connectivity and resulted in many delays and even cancellation of trains.
Sealand teams are planning ahead and focusing on clearing backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
As high congestion levels in the Port of Rotterdam continue to pose challenges, Sealand - A Maersk Company teams have been working hard to alleviate the situation for our customers. We understand that the dis-ruption may have an impact on your business, and we are committed to reducing delays and restoring fluidity as quickly as possible.
Sealand teams are assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven or Zeebrugge could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Rotterdam cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
We are also working closely with the terminal and exploring several congestion-easing options, including reviewing in-transit/off-dock storage options for long-standing cargo. We can provide several different off-dock options around the Netherlands to our customers according to their needs, including our warehouse facilities in nearby Willebroek (Belgium). Please get in touch with your sales or customer service representative for more information on in-transit or off-dock storage/warehousing solutions in Netherlands/Belgium.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the situation in Rotterdam. To help alleviate the terminal congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
The continuously critical levels of terminal yard density have an adverse effect on the port and gate operations, which result in lower productivity in the terminals and potentially restricted gate opening times that limit our ability to take in more units (both full and empty). For that reason, Sealand are also evacuating longstanding units to off-dock facilities if not picked up within reasonable time frames. Your customer service representative will be contacting you if your containers are selected to be moved to an off-dock location.
For inland cargo, Sealand teams are planning ahead and focusing on clearing the backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
July 25, 2022 – Update 05
Following the 48-hour workforce strikes across German terminals, the negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) remain ongoing and are yet to come to a successful agreement. At this time, operations are running at full capacity, with no strikes planned until late August. Should there be any changes, we will keep you updated with the details as soon as possible.
The ongoing congestion across North European ports is leading to further disruptions and delays. This, in combination with last week’s strike, is causing an increased waiting time for our vessels to berth on the ports. Additionally, several rail routes faced technical issues which led to cancellations and postponements on landside transportation from our providers, as they could not reach the ports as originally planned. Our teams are actively working on clearing the backlogs and planning extra capacities to alleviate the situation for our customers.
We are committed to working on further reducing delays and hope to have your support in the process. To assist in alleviating congestion, we kindly ask that you please pick up your cargo from ports at the earliest time possible and return full export containers as close to the cargo cut-off times as possible. For inland haulage that you have booked or plan to book with us, please request a positioning date at least 7 days prior to arrival, or as early as possible.
We thank you for your understanding and support and remain committed to providing you the information needed to effectively manage your supply chain. Sealand teams are always at your disposal for additional support and to answer any questions you might have. Please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative should you have any concerns.
July 14, 2022 – Update 04
A.P. Moller – Maersk is preparing for a 48-hour workforce strike across terminals in Germany, after the latest round of CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) failed to reach a successful conclusion.
The strike is set to run from 6:00am on Thursday 14 July 2022 until 6:00am on Saturday 16 July 2022, directly affecting our operations in Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Wilhemshaven.
Please note that at this stage, negotiations are still ongoing between the parties and there could be changes to the scheduled strike action at the very last minute, including the possibility of an agreement being reached and the strike being cancelled. We will communicate any further information to you as soon as possible.
Having analysed all the information at our disposal right now, Sealand has decided to observe a full stoppage for rail, road and ocean freight for both import and export across our German terminals for the duration of the planned strike. We have evaluated all impacted vessels and have no plans to omit ports or stop operations. Our aim is to return to business as usual serving your global logistics needs from 6:00am on Saturday 16 June 2022.
In the interest of minimising any further disruption to your supply chain, Sealand we will be keeping a close eye on developments up to and during the next round of negotiations between trade union ver.di and ZDS, and will inform you of any updates as soon as they are available.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions. Our teams are always here to support you should you need further assistance.
July 08, 2022 – Update 03
The situation at ports across North Europe is continuing to pose challenges and cause disruption to the global supply chain. And although we are beginning to see some signs of stability at terminals in Germany, yard density levels and waiting times remain extremely high.
Sealand teams are working closely with ports and exploring a number of congestion-easing options – including in-transit/off-dock storage options for longstanding cargo – but we are anticipating challenges to continue throughout the summer months. This is likely to be further exacerbated by a reduction in resources and labour typically associated with the summer holiday season.
As such, we are once again politely asking customers to pick up full inbound units as quickly as possible and make empty containers available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times. We are very grateful for the collaborative efforts we’ve already seen from our customers to reduce congestion, and we hope we can continue to work together to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible.
Our teams have evaluated that redirecting shipments to nearby facilities – such as Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. If you have fewer resources to pick up containers during the summer months or high warehouse capacity levels, nearby Addicks & Kreye is also available for you to store your full containers and could once again ease congestion issues.
We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative to discuss options for your cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
Meanwhile, CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) are yet to reach a successful conclusion and could result in strike action at short notice. We will communicate any further developments with you as soon as possible.
Rest assured, our utmost priority is keeping customer disruption to a minimum and Sealand teams are working around the clock to ensure you have all the information and tools needed to manage your supply chain effectively. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
June 23, 2022 - Update 02
A 24-hour workforce strike across German terminals has now been confirmed, after the latest round of CLA negotiations between trade union ver.di and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS) failed to reach a successful conclusion.
The strike will run from 6:00am on Thursday 23 June 2022 until 6:00am on Friday 24 June 2022, directly affecting our operations in Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Wilhemshaven.
At this stage, Sealand will observe a full stoppage for rail, road and ocean freight for both import and export across our German terminals for the duration of the strike.
We are not planning any alterations to services at present and plan to return to business as usual serving your global logistics needs from 6:00am on Friday 24 June 2022.
Following the conclusion of the strike, we will assess the impact of the stoppage and will communicate any necessary service changes with you as soon as possible.
In the interest of minimising any further disruption to your supply chain, Sealand we will be keeping a close eye on developments up to and during the next round of meetings between trade union ver.di and ZDS, acknowledging that further strike action is possible.
June 15, 2022 - Update 01
Congestion across the global supply chain has contributed to challenging yard density levels and waiting times at the Port of Hamburg, while potential strike action threatens to add further disruption across Germany and North Europe.
We are keeping under review the ongoing talks between trade union Verdi and the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), acknowledging the possibility of strike action taking place. We understand that the next round of discussions will occur on Tuesday 21st June and will evaluate our next steps in the event of any stoppages.
Sealand teams are committed to keeping your supply chain moving and minimising the impact on your business, and we will continue to communicate any further developments as they happen.
We hope to have your support to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible despite the situation in Rotterdam. To help alleviate the terminal congestion, we politely ask that you please pick up full inbound units as swiftly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
Sealand is also assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Wilhelmshaven, Gdansk or Zeebrugge – could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Hamburg cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
For inland road and rail services to and from Hamburg, backlogs, delays and cancellations to rail services have had a significant impact on productivity and available capacity. Sealand teams are planning ahead to focus on clearing the backlogs and securing incremental capacities.
In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Despite waiting times and terminal productivity remaining at fair levels in Antwerp, yard density across the North Europe network remains high – predominantly caused by high dwell time and vessel delays impacting productivity and berth congestion.
This combined with facing a reduction in labour as we enter the summer period means Sealand is keeping a close eye on Antwerp and making provisions to ensure congestion remains at a minimum and customer supply chains continue to function seamlessly.
As such, we are politely asking that customers please pick up full inbound units as quickly as possible and make empty containers once again available for exports. Please also return full export containers as late as possible before cargo cut-off times.
Sealand is also assessing if redirecting to nearby facilities – such as Zeebrugge or Wilhelmshaven - could speed up delivery/pick-up and reduce the potential impact on your business. We therefore encourage you to reach out to your local customer service representative to discuss your options for Antwerp cargo and how we can help to manage your supply chain challenges.
For inland cargo, Sealand teams are planning ahead with a focus on clearing backlogs and securing incremental capacities. In the meantime, if you have booked or intend to book inland haulage with us, please request a positioning date as early as possible so that we can plan capacity requirements accordingly. For imports, we recommend a positioning request to be sent to us > 7 days prior to arrival.
Giving you the best ability to manage your supply chain is of paramount importance to us and we are working to give you the tools and information you need to do so. Our teams are here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience teams to discuss your options and ask any questions you may have.
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