Retailers, hauliers, and shipping firms have raised a concern that Brexit had created chaos at Felixstowe Port in Suffolk which affected goods ahead of the Christmas. Hutchison Ports said it redirected a ship from Felixstowe to Rotterdam due to “unacceptable” delays stemming from pre-Brexit stockpiling and the pandemic. Freight manager Matt Hudson warned prolonged chaos could incur higher shipping prices that will be passed on to end-buyers.
According to Hudson, hauliers were unable to book a slot to enter the site, causing containers being left on the quayside. Taiwanese shipping firm Evergreen also reported “serious port congestion” at Felixstowe and redirected one of its ships from the port to Rotterdam. A spokesman from Evergreen said a berthing slot would not be available at Felixstowe ten days after a ship’s scheduled arrival.
Hutchison Ports UK stated that the coronavirus pandemic and the imbalance between pre-UK trade and Brexit stockpiling posed operational challenges. Felixstowe is facing a large number of empty containers which started at the port for an unusually long period. The company said delays at Felixstowe would likely last until at least December and might extend into January.
