Container availability in major European ports has returned to normal

Data from the online container tracking platform Container xChange shows that the situation with the availability of containers in the largest container ports in Europe is becoming more balanced.
According to TASS, the value of the Container xChange (CAx) Container Container Container Index at 0.5 signifies the balanced state of the market. The index value is less than 0.5 for container deficiency, higher than 0.5 for excess.
In Antwerp last year there was an acute shortage of equipment, with an average index of 0.21 points for a 40 ft container. On average, the index has improved since the beginning of the year to 0.41.

The index for the Port of Hamburg is also a positive development: the average index since the beginning of the year is 0.49, compared to 0.27 in 2020.
In the meantime, the situation in British ports is deteriorating dramatically. Ports are suffering from a critical build-up of containers due to disruptions in trade following the country’s exit from the EU.

Owing to the COVID-19, import traffic through the country’s largest container terminals increased sharply previous year. This has led to delays in the handling of ships and an excessive accumulation of containers in ports.