Following several days of media interest in congestion affecting some UK ports, Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association said:

We are seeing a big increase in traffic which is now cascading across the wider ports industry. However, in general the sector is managing. This is the result of a perfect storm of a global surge in container movements, the traditionally busy pre-Christmas period and some people moving more goods before the end of the UK’s Brexit transition ends. This is putting pressure on the logistics and storage sectors both in the UK abs abroad.

Some importers are experiencing delays in receiving certain goods but the industry is working to alleviate the congestion, although it could take some weeks to resolve. Some of the delays are a result of goods being diverted on to different shipping and port routes. Whilst testing for some this of course demonstrates wider resilience and shows the network is responding to the situation to keep the country supplied.