This demonstrates that, with 12 days forewarning before the strike is due to begin, alternatives exist for lines and shippers with any degree of flexibility. Following a recent spell of congestion at Felixstowe, major lines Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) diverted their AE7 service, which originates in Shanghai and calls at Yantian and Columbo on the way (among others), to nearby Wilhelmshaven in Germany. However, depending on ship type, other UK ports may also be considered.
As shown in Figure 2, from VesselsValue’s newly launched Congestion Module, when Maersk and MSC took this decision in October 2021, average waiting times for container ships at Felixstowe peaked at 28 hours, compared with a five-year average of 15 hours for the time of year. Waiting times climbed as high as 40 hours earlier this year in March, but they have since reduced and are well within normal bounds. Waiting times are currently around 10 hours, compared with 21 hours this time last year and a five-year average of eight hours.
