Customer advisory - Impact of contingency planning at Bremerhaven

As part of our ongoing commitment to transparent communication, we would like to provide an update on the current operational situation at the Bremerhaven terminal, which may have an impact on your cargo planning. This follows our earlier communication regarding increasing congestion and operational disruptions at several terminals in North Europe.

During the Easter period and the upcoming Whit Monday and Ascension Day holidays, Bremerhaven experienced a sharp and unexpected decline in labour availability. Although seasonal variations are accounted for in our planning, the scale of this year’s reduction has exceeded forecasts. With additional holidays approaching, further workforce constraints are anticipated.

To safeguard network integrity and reduce disruption to your cargo flows, we have extended our contingency measures through the end of May, when terminal productivity is expected to return to normal levels.

As part of these measures, AE5 services are being temporarily extended from Bremerhaven to Nordic terminals. We continue to work closely with the terminal to minimise disruption and ensure cargo operations are completed as planned. Where delays have occurred, our teams are focused on repatriating affected containers as quickly as possible.

If your cargo is affected, you will receive a direct notification with updated ETA details. If you are not yet signed up for ETA notifications, you can do so by clicking here.

Please rest assured that our teams remain in close contact with terminal operators and are doing everything possible to manage the situation and reduce delays. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work to keep your supply chain running as smoothly as possible under the current circumstances.

If you have any other questions, or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your Maersk representative.