Strikes & Storms Create Further Backlog

To add to the existing congestion and backlog at overseas ports, our partner offices in both Italy and Hong Kong have announced closures and delays brought about by strikes and, in China, by the approaching typhoon.

In Italy, a strike was called today at Genova port which has inhibited truckers from picking up empties or delivering full containers. The strike, which is protesting working conditions at terminals, may continue for the rest of the week if the parties do not find an agreement. To further exacerbate the issue, another strike has been called at Leghorn port next week, scheduled to take place from October 18th-20th. These two strikes will most likely have an impact on container loading and vessel departures, so please plan on additional delays if you have cargo coming out of the region.

In Hong Kong, the city is preparing for the impact of a massive typhoon which is moving toward the South China Coast. Our partner office, Albatrans Hong Kong, has announced its closure today due to the storm, as have many other schools and businesses in the city. The storm has also shut down operations at several Chinese ports, again creating more congestion and backlog for the already strained supply chain.

As always, we will continue to keep you informed of the logistics hot spots throughout the world as we continue to navigate through this unprecedented time in the logistics industry.