Customer advisory: Strike action of lashing companies in Rotterdam

October 13^th, 2025 – Update

Please be informed that Lashers at the Port of Rotterdam were ordered back to work as of the morning of 13 October.

Discharge and load operations on vessels have resumed. However, due to the disruption caused by the strike period, a backlog has developed. As a result, vessel contingencies are still expected as our teams work to recover the network schedules.

We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates, as necessary.

October 10^th, 2025 – Update

Please be informed that lashing companies at the Port of Rotterdam are expected to continue their strike for an undefined period, as reported by the labour union FNF. No agreement has been reached between the involved parties regarding the ongoing labour dispute.

Impact on vessel operations and contingency measures are currently under review. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide further updates as they become available.

We would like to inform you that strike action by lashing companies in the Port of Rotterdam is expected to start, Wednesday, 8 October 2025. At the moment, two lashing companies are expected to stop work from Wednesday afternoon, 8 October at 15:15, until Friday, 10 October at 15:15. This action is related to ongoing labour disputes concerning working conditions and compensation for lashing personnel on Terminals in Rotterdam.

This strike specifically involves lashing operations, which are critical to the safe securing and release of containers on board vessels. As such, while terminal infrastructure (including tugs and pilots) remains operational, vessel operations are currently being significantly impacted due to the suspension of services by these independent lashing companies.

The strike is affecting all major terminals in Rotterdam, including:

• APM Terminals Maasvlakte II
• Hutchinson Ports Delta II
• ECT Delta
• Rotterdam World Gateway

Our teams are actively monitoring the situation and have aligned contingency plans with our operational partners to mitigate disruptions. These include adjusted operational windows and move counts. Vessels alongside from 8–10 October are experiencing delays or interruptions in load and discharge operations. While our priority remains minimizing the disruption to your supply chain and maintaining the operational reliability, events like these are beyond our reasonable control and may impact operations.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your continued understanding. If contingency plans are triggered because of the strikes, these will be communicated separately through the usual channels.

For further assistance, please contact your local customer service representative.