Finance
Storms disrupt container cargo in Europe, shipping companies say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 28, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 28, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 28, 2026
Maersk reports that severe weather is disrupting cargo flows across Europe, affecting trade routes in southern, western, and northern regions.
COPENHAGEN, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Container shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said on Wednesday that heavy storms and snowfall were disrupting cargo flows across Europe, and that some logistics terminals were shut due to the bad weather.
Maersk said it saw disruptions in south-west and western Europe, which in turn also affected deliveries to and from the northern parts of the continent.
Portugal and Spain were among countries affected by severe weather warnings on Wednesday, while Italy on Monday declared a state of emergency for its southern regions battered by a violent storm last week that pushed water inland.
Maersk said there was no timeline currently available for a resumption of affected services.
"The severe conditions are causing significant industry-wide disruptions, with vessels sheltering and terminals having to stop operations or working with reduced productivity," Maersk wrote in an advisory sent to customers.
A Maersk spokesperson said the terminal closures affected ports along the western coasts of Spain and Morocco, extending up through the Bay of Biscay to Britain.
"This situation is affecting the entire industry, and due to the severity and uncertainty of the conditions, we expect delays and closures to continue to impact vessels and terminals across the board," it said in the advisory.
Germany's Hapag-Lloyd said in an emailed comment that the company was experiencing "significant reductions" due to the weather.
Rival shipping group CMA CGM last week said one of its ships had lost 58 containers at sea after facing unexpectedly strong weather conditions off Malta, and that some additional containers were damaged on the vessel deck.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Soren Jeppesen in Copenhagen and Thomas Seythal in Berlin; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Jan Harvey)
Cargo shipping refers to the transportation of goods and materials by sea, air, or land. It is a crucial aspect of global trade, enabling businesses to move products across countries and continents.
Supply chain management involves overseeing and managing the flow of goods, information, and finances as they move from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer.
Climate change refers to significant changes in global temperatures and weather patterns over time. It is primarily driven by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels.
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