Recently, due to the continuous congestion at European ports, MSC has raised the freight rates for the Far East to Northern Europe route twice since June 1st. After July, MSC initiated targeted adjustments for the congestion issue and the two routes no longer call at the Antwerp port.
Specifically, the "Swan" service, which connects the Far East, Northern Europe and Scandinavia, has cancelled the outbound stopover at Antwerp and shifted to Felixstowe Port, the largest port in the UK; the "Britain" service has cancelled one inbound stopover at Antwerp and only retains the outbound stopover.
Not only MSC, but also Gemini (operated by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd) has made adjustments to the Far East - Northern Europe route, which indirectly reflects the congestion situation at European ports.
In fact, the route adjustments made by the shipping company MSC are not a random decision but rather the result of short-term operational pressures and long-term strategic planning working together. Their impact is gradually permeating into the European port landscape.