Not so happy new year for container shipping lines

Leading integrated logistics company, Maersk has warned its customers that 2022 will be yet another challenging year as there will be more issues in the global supply chains going forward.

“Unfortunately, 2022 has not started off as we had hoped. The pandemic is still going strong and we are seeing new outbreaks impacting our ability to move your cargo,” the Danish carrier said in a note to customers this week.

It added that the situation was “particularly challenging” at several hub ports and gateway terminals.

The sector has been enduring shortages of vessels as queues of hundreds of ships built up off terminals due to a rebound in demand and the continuity of the Covid-19 pandemic.