By Maria Kalamatas | July 25, 2025

Section: International / Maritime & Port Operations

Rotterdam, July 25 — Container terminals across northern Europe are struggling with mounting congestion as import flows from Asia and transshipment volumes to the United Kingdom and Scandinavia push yard space and berth availability to their limits.

“Yards are operating at over 95 percent capacity, and some vessels are waiting more than two days for a berth,” said Erik Janssen, terminal manager at a Rotterdam port facility. “We’re adding shifts and equipment, but demand is rising faster than we can expand throughput.”

Drivers of the bottleneck

Seasonal retail shipments, combined with increased feeder traffic, are fueling the surge. Port authorities warn that without swift adjustments, vessel queues could extend into early August, impacting schedules across the region.

“Our priority is to keep cargo moving and avoid bottlenecks spreading inland,” Janssen explained.

Mitigation efforts underway

Some carriers are diverting vessels to secondary ports in Belgium and Germany to ease pressure, while forwarders are accelerating customs clearance and shifting inland moves to rail.

“These measures buy time, but the congestion won’t disappear until volumes normalize,” Janssen noted.

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