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‘Port’ the port of Piraeus – Danger in view of Christmas

Of George Georgiou

Problems remain in the infrastructure of the port of Piraeus, as the weather conditions, the mobilizations and the constant disturbances in the supply chain do not allow the smooth movement and service of the goods. All this at the worst possible time, 23 days before Christmas.

According to the International Maritime Union, the commercial port remained closed from noon on Sunday, November 28 until Tuesday afternoon, due to the winds and consequently the inability to conduct navigation.

At the same time, piers II and III of the Container Station did not work yesterday, as the ENEDEP union went on strike, demanding the start of negotiations for the signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Despite the two-day strike was finally limited to just yesterday, the closure of the piers intensified the problems in the port. “When 11,000 – 12,000 moves are made on a daily basis, even a day of inactivity creates serious problems,” said competent sources.

Of course the whole situation is aggravated by the off-arrival of container vessels. According to sources close to the liner shipping companies in Capital.gr, in 2021, only 34% of the routes – on average – of the containerships worldwide have been carried out within the defined time frame, in the agreed, that is, “window “for the service of ships in ports.

Crowd of “boxes”

The same happens from the beginning of the year in Piraeus, as a result of which the steamers arrive all together and cause overcrowding of loaded and empty containers in the facilities.

“Today the port is” blocked “, the infrastructure is full” underline factors that know what is happening in the largest Greek port.

The same sources note in Capital.gr that until yesterday afternoon about 17 container vessels, mother vessels and feeders (large and small containerships), were waiting to be served outside the port.

At the same time, the data from the AIS systems of the ships (Automatic Identification System) indicate that seven more containerships, five mother vessels and two feeders are arriving to Piraeus.

In fact, there are cases of ships waiting, according to competent sources, for about 5-6 days and may be even longer to unload.

Impact on the import / export balance

These conditions lead companies to decide to end their scheduled voyages to other countries – e.g. Italy – forcing many importers to bring back products at their own expense.

However, apart from the importers, the exporters are also affected, who sought to transport their products to the big companies abroad before Christmas, something that is difficult in the current conditions.

This so-called “perfect storm” raises concerns and doubts in traders and people of the port for the full supply of the market and consumers, in view of the festive season.

Read also:

Piraeus under pressure – The first is lost in the Mediterranean

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Source From: Capital

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