Strong earthquake likely to cause short-term disruption to shipments from Myanmar, blank sailings to extend into April and port congestion at Rotterdam to delay some consignments.
Myanmar Earthquake: Temporary Disruption to Port Operations
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck central Myanmar, causing significant damage to infrastructure in the northern cities of Naypyidaw and Mandalay. While the port city of Yangon, located in the south of the country, has not reported widespread damage, factories, offices and the container port have temporarily closed as workers return home to their families. We expect these closures to be short-lived, with operations resuming swiftly once reassurances are in place. However, there may be some short-term delays in the movement of cargo from Myanmar in the coming days.
Despite strong tremors being felt as far as Thailand, including in Bangkok, port and logistics operations in the region continue as normal. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.
Sea Freight Services: Blank Sailings Extend into April
While demand remains in line with typical seasonal trends, the recent wave of blank sailings on Asia to Europe routes – implemented to manage capacity – will extend into April. As a result, last-minute schedule changes continue to impact planned shipments.
Meanwhile, the newly implemented alliance schedules remain steady, with departures continuing as planned. Early positive indications suggest that arrival times are also on track, though we will review performance data at the end of April to assess overall service reliability.
Rotterdam Port Congestion: Potential Delays
Congestion at the port of Rotterdam is leading to longer waiting times for container pickup and drop-off. A combination of high cargo volumes and unresolved labor disputes, including strikes and slowdowns at key terminals, have disrupted operations and slowed cargo handling times. As a major transshipment hub, any bottlenecks at Rotterdam inevitably will have some knock-on effect on wider supply chains.
We will continue to monitor the situation and notify individual customers as soon as we receive further information of any shipments impacted.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your shipment, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Service Team at 01376 533039 or email [email protected].
