October 10, 2018 - Increasing numbers of UK shippers are switching their container import gateway from the congestion of Southampton and Felixstowe to Liverpool.
According to freight forwarders and importers, the Mersey port’s enlarged terminal capacity since it opened its deepwater Liverpool2 terminal in late 2016 has meant an absence of demurrage and detention charges, as well as faster truck turnaround times and available haulage.
These factors have been thrown into sharp focus since the congestion issues began at Felixstowe in the summer and later spread to Southampton.
In response to the mounting congestion at Felixstowe, 2M partners Maersk and MSC switched two deepsea services to Liverpool in July, and Liverpool owner Peel Ports’ chief executive, Mark Whitworth, urged shippers, forwarders and carriers to rethink their UK ports of entry.
“The arduous situation in the UK retail sector is well-documented. The last thing it needs is to be unnecessarily hobbled by a logistics crisis with no end in sight. This is an avoidable situation and we would urge shipping lines, forwarders and cargo owners to talk to us about how we can get their cargo moving again rather than having to face a delay that shows no sign of abating,” he said.
Peel Ports said the £400m Liverpool2 terminal has some 70% available capacity, with no queues for arriving vessels and an average truck turnaround time of 42 minutes. It has so far this year seen a year-on-year throughput growth of 8.7%. Last year it processed 432,723 boxes.
“Peel Ports is ready to welcome cargo destined for the UK as well as shipments bound for international destinations from the UK, and we have ample capacity to do so. Liverpool2 was developed specifically for large deepwater cargo vessels. With a growing proportion of the UK’s logistics and warehousing facilities based in the north and the Midlands, there are multiple benefits to containers arriving in Liverpool,” Mr. Whitworth added.
Source: Excerpted from the Loadstar
Our team in the UK is aware of the ongoing challenges due to congestion and haulage issues. We are working closely with customers to mitigate disruptions. We will continue to monitor and provide updates as the situation develops. Sign up for our newsletter to receive alerts in your inbox.
