Felixstowe getting worse
Peter Williams, trade flow analyst at Vessels Value, recently gave his assessment of the current difficulties in the UK’s supply chains: Due to the continuing disagreement between the Port Operator Hutchinson Ports and their dockers in Felixstowe, congestion at the port have drastically increased.
Williams said: "Despite the twelve-day notice given of the strike, not all container operators have been able to make alternative voyage plans, culminating in waiting times at Felixstowe port climbing towards year highs." While average waiting times in early August 2022 were highly efficient with only 10 hours, they now dropped to the 30-hour mark.
Williams added: "With the accumulation of empty shoreside containers, the time taken for Felixstowe congestion to revert to normality will largely depend on how long it takes the port to process this backlog, something that retailers will be closely monitoring as they prepare for the festive spending period." (sh)