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PORTS near the entrance to the Mediterranean are experiencing growing bottlenecks due to increasing volume and a sharp rise in transshipment as carriers offload cargo destined for southern Europe, reports New York’s Journal of Commerce.
Larger vessels, increased ship calls, and greater container exchanges during port stops are adding pressure to the West Mediterranean gateways-particularly the ports of Tanger Med, Barcelona, and Algeciras.
This situation frustrates carriers’ attempts to mitigate extended transit times caused by rerouting around southern Africa to avoid Red Sea attacks.
Maersk estimates that the Asia-North Europe and Mediterranean trades will lose 15 to 20 per cent of their capacity in the second quarter as carriers are forced to add more ships to routes to maintain weekly sailings.
‘As recent attacks have reached further offshore, this has forced our vessels to lengthen their journey further, increasing costs and sailing time,’ said the ocean carrier.
‘The knock-on effects of the situation have included bottlenecks and vessel bunching, as well as delays and equipment and capacity shortages.’
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