U.K. port congestion “serious problem for the foreseeable future”

U.K. port congestion “serious problem for the foreseeable future”

U.K. port congestion “serious problem for the foreseeable future”

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The United Kingdom’s Freight Transport Association hosted a “highly productive” meeting on Thursday with a variety of maritime supply chain stakeholders to discuss port congestion in the country.
   The FTA was a vocal critic of a recent congestion surcharge introduced by the Far Eastern Freight Conference for westbound cargo from Asia destined for British ports, which has subsequently been suspended.
   The meeting was attended by shipping lines, terminal operators, freight forwarders, hauliers and shippers. The FTA said all agreed that “congestion at container ports will continue to be a serious problem in the U.K. for the foreseeable future.”
   The “group acknowledged that ports congestion in the U.K. was unsatisfactory in comparison to competitors in Europe. At the same time levels of efficiency in the U.K. required improvement and the group determined to take appropriate action to make such improvements,” the FTA said.
   A follow-up meeting is expected to take place in the near future.