Industrial action across major European ports is placing severe pressure on global supply chains, with schedule reliability on Asia-Europe trade lanes plummeting to record lows.
Dockworkers in Germany have staged walkouts in recent days, while Dutch union members are preparing to join the industrial action with a strike scheduled for Friday. The coordinated disruption is compounding existing pressures on ocean freight networks.
As a direct result, the on-time performance of shipping lines operating between Asia and Europe has fallen into single digits, marking one of the lowest reliability levels ever recorded on the trade lane. Shippers and freight forwarders are now facing significant delays, congestion at key European gateway ports, and growing uncertainty around cargo delivery windows.
The knock-on effects are expected to ripple through inland logistics networks, with vessel bunching, container backlogs, and equipment shortages likely to persist well beyond the immediate strike periods.