Increased traffic due to recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels has led to congestion at ports like Algeciras and Barcelona in Spain, and Tangier-Med in Morocco.
Maersk, a major shipping company, has alerted customers about overcrowding at the Port of Barcelona and similar issues at terminals in Algeciras and Tangier. Alonso Luque, CEO of TTI Algeciras, confirmed limited capacity at their terminal, which is only managing by restricting business.
To avoid the troubled Suez Canal, many shipping lines are rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, resulting in a backlog of containers at Mediterranean ports.
This congestion affects the movement of goods between Asia and ports in Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
The situation has led to delays and increased costs for businesses, forcing some to stockpile goods and affecting the supply of components for manufacturers.
Car terminals are also experiencing congestion due to a surge in exports from Asia to Europe and North America.
Terminal operators expect the challenges to persist as long as shipping services continue to be rerouted. Nabil Boumezzough, president of Tangier Alliance, highlighted the efficiency and productivity challenges posed by operating at near-full capacity.
While some improvements are being seen, vessels are still waiting offshore before docking at congested ports like Algeciras and Tangier. Shipping lines are even diverting to ports farther away, such as Malta and Italy's Gioia Tauro, due to the capacity shortage.
