News / More direct calls avoiding the UK could reduce the nation to a feeder market

High levels of congestion at major container gateways have led to declining direct port calls by mainline Asia-North Europe vessels, and increased the likelihood that the UK could become a feeder market. 

Over the past few months, the ranks of deepsea vessels omitting direct calls and unloading UK-bound cargo at north-west continental Europe gateways have swelled, leaving UK forwarders scrambling to find ways to retrieve customers’ cargo.

This has led some to lament that the country would be relegated to feeder-only status. 

However, this may not necessarily be a negative development, according ...