04 March 2025

Market Update | Port Disruption France & Italy

Strikes at French Ports

Strikes at the French ports led by the dockers and fueled by demands for better labour conditions and extended early retirement benefits for those exposed to asbestos, continue to disrupt the French ports, including Le Havre, Marseille and Fos-sur-Mer. Since January, work stoppages have caused major delays. Limited availability of dockers and congestion are delaying containers entering and exiting terminals, further impacting container availability. Vessel schedules are frequently changing, with delays of approximately one week across the board. Some vessels are also canceling their calls in Le Havre, due to the situation. Disruptions will persist, with multiple four-hour stoppages in March. A 72-hour strike is planned for March 18-19-20. On March 18, dockers will also carry out operation 'Ports Morts' (literally “Dead Ports”), blocking all access to the terminals. Dunkerque, in the North of France, has been mostly spared but a parallel strike is now expected on March 5-6-7.

Port Congestion Italy

Due to infrastructure upgrades and implementation of new technologies to manage the rising volume and limited capacity, La Spezia and Genova ports are experiencing disruption and congestion, with waiting time up to 5-7 days. Genova PSA is currently very congested, with several services omitting this call and diverting to Genova Sech, Bettolo, or Gioia Tauro. La Spezia is affected by construction work on the east side of the terminal, with possible service rerouting to Livorno or secondary ports with shuttle service connections. Please anticipate ongoing delays and service rotations.

Our Network

In the event of market disruptions to your supply chain, our branches offer contingency planning options to our customers. Our team will continue to monitor and advise as new information becomes available. If you have any further questions, please reach out to your local Mainfreight team