Container handling rates at the port of Piraeus in August fell compared to the previous month, due to the season and the problems that are still disrupting the supply chain today.
It is recalled that the country’s largest port handled almost the same number of containers in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, a performance that was considered satisfactory amid turbulence, but is of course lower than the records of 2019.
Analysts point out that reduced volumes are expected at European Union ports in the coming days due to the summer holidays.
However, the major problem facing the PPA’s people is congestion at several key ports in Asia and Northern Europe and the inability of liner shipping companies to move goods on time. Thus, “queues” and waiting times are multiplying.
As can be seen, this situation is leading to an increase in ‘blank sailings’, i.e. cancellations of calls at ports or even entire routes. Only yesterday the leading Danish liner shipping company Maersk announced that it would avoid calls at Hamburg because of delays.
At the same time, two of the world’s largest ports, the Chinese ports of Ningbo and Shanghai, are under increased pressure. Indeed, several ships that were scheduled to call at Ningbo yesterday were forced to … turn back after a coronavirus case was reported among its workforce.
These are developments that directly affect the Greek port, as the schedules of most liner companies are: China – Piraeus – Northern Europe – Piraeus – China.
Signs of congestion?
It should be noted that in recent days, minor delays have also been recorded in Piraeus.
In July everything went smoothly and the waiting rate was at relatively low levels, analysts who monitor arrivals at the ports point out to Capital.gr. Until the last week of the month, the waiting time of ships at anchorage averaged 0.7 days, according to the MarineTraffic database.
In the first week of August, however, the waiting time reached an average of 1 day. In mid-June the waiting time was 0.4 days. However, according to data from the Danish consultancy eeSea, on 9 August there was moderate congestion at the port facilities.
Source : www.capital.gr