During January and February, global supply chains were impacted by successive severe weather systems across multiple regions, alongside the annual Chinese New Year operational standstill in Asia.
The combined effect is reflected in localized congestion, schedule adjustments, and moderate transit time variability across several key trade lanes.
Below is a concise overview of delays by trade lane for the month January and February.
South Africa → Europe / Asia
Heavy rainfall and flooding affected inland infrastructure and container movements. As a result of consecutive weather disruptions, inland trucking and port productivity have been intermittently constrained. Export lead times may extend by several days depending on origin and routing.
Indonesia / Southeast Asia → Europe / USA
Persistent rainfall and elevated tropical activity impacted selected ports and feeder networks. The consecutive disruptions have slowed equipment turnaround in certain areas, increasing the likelihood of ETD shifts and occasional roll-overs on specific sailings.
Türkiye → Europe
Storm systems and unstable weather conditions temporarily affected domestic transport and short sea services. While operations remain stable overall, minor variations in departure and arrival schedules may occur on Mediterranean routes.
Northwest Europe (Import & Export Hubs)
Several Atlantic storm systems caused temporary operational constraints in key Northwest European ports. The resulting discharge delays and rotation adjustments have created localized congestion, with limited ripple effects on Asia-Europe and Transatlantic services.
United States → Europe
Severe winter storms impacted multiple inland regions, particularly affecting rail and trucking networks. The accumulation of weather-related delays may add 1 to 3 days to transit times from specific inland origins.
Chinese New Year Impact
In the weeks prior to Chinese New Year, increased export volumes tightened space availability on Asia–Europe and Transpacific services, resulting in higher vessel utilization and selective booking pressure. During the holiday period, factory closures across China and parts of Asia reduced cargo output, while carriers implemented blank sailings and adjusted service rotations.
As production resumes, networks are stabilizing. However, residual schedule gaps, uneven vessel arrivals, and temporary equipment imbalances may continue to create moderate transit variability on selected services, with further normalization expected in the coming weeks.
Geopolitical Developments and Market Uncertainty
Given the current global situation and rising geopolitical uncertainties, there may be potential impacts on logistics operations, transit times and overall market conditions in the coming period.
Shipments to and from Europe may experience capacity constraints and rate volatility.
Planning Considerations for Shippers
The current market dynamic is not driven by structural capacity shortages, but by the combined impact of weather-related disruptions, the ongoing post-Chinese New Year schedule recovery and current geopolitical uncertainties.
While overall capacity remains available, localized congestion, schedule variability, and temporary equipment imbalances may continue to affect selected trade lanes in the short term.
We recommend:
– Allowing moderate schedule flexibility for time-sensitive shipments.
– Closely monitoring ETD and ETA variability, as well as short-term rate developments.
– Reviewing inventory buffers where supply chains operate with limited tolerance.
– Evaluating alternative routes or contingency options for deadline-critical cargo where required.
BTS Logistics continues to monitor carrier schedules, terminal productivity, inland congestion, and equipment availability closely. Please contact us if you have any questions.