Congestion supports southern Europe ‘gateway’ argument

Congestion at North European ports, mainly Rotterdam and Hamburg, is supporting the call to shippers and shipping lines to consider using southern ports as gateways to serve European markets.

In an interview with CM during TOC Europe, Daniele Testi, marketing manager for Contship Italia, the Italian port and logistics provider, seized upon the fact that gateway Italian ports, especially La Spezia, can provide competitive and rapid direct routes into the markets of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

His remarks coincide with a report from Drewry that describes the current congestion at Rotterdam and Hamburg as “significant” and, “an echo of the issues last seen during the boom of the early/mid 2000s ahead of the global financial crash”.