Maritime Supply Chains: a. hartrodt stays the course through rough seas
Trade issues and port congestion make reliable planning more challenging.
“Disruptions are the new normal,” states Nuno da Silva, General Manager Seafreight Germany at a. hartrodt in Hamburg. By this, he means not only the blockades of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and the Bab al-Mandab Strait as the most important maritime link between Asia and Europe but also obstacles such as port congestion, customs barriers, and additional costs for energy and security. “Our communication efforts are enormous, and digitalization only helps to a limited extent,” he says. Despite the increasingly complex situation, his 115-member sea freight team in Germany is doing everything it can to respond quickly and meet customer expectations.
Exchange with other market participants
Jens Roemer, Regional Managing Director for Belgium, France, and Switzerland at a. hartrodt, is discussing current challenges in sea freight with other market participants. He will participate in a panel discussion at a DSLV sea freight conference in Hamburg on Thursday in his role as Senior Vice President of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA). Nuno da Silva is also attending the event organized by the German Logistics Association DSLV.
Supply chains in complete disarray
According to Nuno da Silva, detours such as those around the Cape of Good Hope and port congestion cause “eight out of ten container ships” to miss their berthing slots. This completely disrupts supply chains because it then becomes impossible to meet deadlines for inland transportation: “Low water levels in Germany are forcing us to shift more cargo to rail or truck, where bottlenecks are occurring.” But a. hartrodt’s customers can rely on staff with many years of professional experience. Jens Roemer considers this the “strength of a medium-sized company.” He views digitalization and high data quality “as levers for better control.”
Through a. hartrodt’s Global Tracking Portal, customers can see in real time where delays are occurring. Meanwhile, the sea freight team focuses on assessing risks, planning alternatives, and proactively communicating solutions.