Europe port congestion in September 2026 is about yard space more than berths. In Kuehne+Nagel's bulletin for 2 to 8 September, vessels waited 1.5 days at Rotterdam, but yards were about 90% full at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II and 88% at Bremerhaven.
Short answer: as of 15 September 2026, the APMT Maasvlakte II and Bremerhaven yards were about 90% and 88% full (Kuehne+Nagel, 2 to 8 September), and the German port pay round had no deal and no new strike call. The Rhine at Kaub read 28 cm. PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026, and EU product identifiers for low-value parcels become mandatory on 1 November.
Europe port congestion in September 2026 at a glance
- APMT Maasvlakte II and Bremerhaven yards were about 90% and 88% full in the week to 8 September (Kuehne+Nagel), so collect imports promptly.
- No wage deal or new strike call at German ports as of 15 September; avoid tight transhipments there.
- Kaub read 28 cm on 15 September; BfG puts it below 77 cm to 27 September with 100% probability, so expect part-loaded barges.
- Italian rail closures at Tarvisio–Udine and Arona–Domodossola end on 20 September; plan for a backlog.
- PPWR has applied since 12 August, so packaging files are due now; product identifiers follow on 1 November and EUDR on 30 December.
How congested are Rotterdam, Antwerp and the German ports?
Rotterdam's squeeze is in the yards. Kuehne+Nagel put APMT Maasvlakte II at about 90%, “expected to stay elevated due to the strike”, and ECT at about 83%, with limited reefer plugs and barge and feeder delays of 24 to 72 hours. Its bulletin for 19 to 25 August already had Rotterdam's yards 89 to 90% full.
Then came two stoppages: ver.di's 48-hour warning strike in Hamburg from 2 to 4 September, and a political strike at Dutch ports on 4 September. Kuehne+Nagel reported Bremerhaven tight for IMO and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo. ver.di members rejected the employers' third offer of 5.1% over 18 months; ZDS then tabled two variants, and ver.di put only the 12-month one to its members. As of 15 September 2026 there is no agreement and no new strike call.
If you tranship at a German hub, avoid tight connections until a deal is announced and keep a Rotterdam or Antwerp option. The same Kuehne+Nagel bulletin had a 1.15-day vessel wait at Antwerp-Bruges; in the UK, Southampton's wait was 1.71 days and London Gateway had cut its export receiving window to 7 days. Collect dangerous goods promptly: Maersk warned on 14 August that delayed pickups “increase the risk of forced discharge to alternative terminals”.
Maersk said on 14 September that three Gemini services it runs with Hapag-Lloyd will move from the Cape to Suez, with first westbound sailings on 19, 21 and 24 September, “dependent on the ongoing stability in the Red Sea area”. Drewry's index of 10 September had Shanghai–Rotterdam at USD 3,997 per 40ft, down 2% on the week. See our global freight market update, ocean freight rates tracker and, for Gulf cargo, the Red Sea and Hormuz shipping update.
How low is the Rhine, and which rail and road links are restricted?
Kaub hit a record single-digit low in mid-August and read 28 cm on 15 September. The German federal forecast (ELWIS/BfG) shows about 30 cm around 17 September, then the low 20s, and a 100% probability of staying below the 77 cm low-water mark to 27 September.
Both of Contargo's published low-water tables were in the “by agreement” band on 15 September. Rail offers limited relief. The right-bank Rhine line from Troisdorf to Wiesbaden is closed for renovation until 12 December, and trade press reports freight moving to the left-bank line. Berlin–Lehrte closes from 2 October until December 2027.
In Italy, Tarvisio–Udine reopens after 20 September and Arona–Domodossola, the Simplon access, is shut from 18 to 20 September. The Italian transport ministry's strike register lists an SBB Cargo Italia rail freight strike overnight from 20 to 21 September and a national port strike on 28 September; both can be revoked. Southbound Brenner trucks face Tyrol dosing at Kufstein and Luegbrücke limits on set days; the dates to early October are in the table below.
Which EU rules already apply to your cargo?
PPWR, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, has applied since 12 August 2026. Each packaging type sold in the EU needs technical documentation, an EU Declaration of Conformity and type or batch marking with the manufacturer's name and address, and producers need EPR registration in each Member State where they sell. Heavy metals are capped at 100 mg/kg combined, and food-contact packaging has PFAS limits. UK government guidance of 4 September sets out the same declaration requirement for UK businesses.
Private-label brand owners count as producers, Germany's packaging register ZSVR noted on 12 August, so expect buyers to ask for these files. The sorting label and the 50% empty-space limit do not apply yet.
Since 1 July 2026, e-commerce consignments of €150 or less pay a temporary €3 customs duty per distinct tariff line: five identical T-shirts cost €3, a T-shirt and a watch €6, in Baker McKenzie's example. Product identifiers become mandatory on 1 November. The customs reform provides for a handling fee collected by the same date, but no amount is set and final approval is pending.
EUDR applies from 30 December 2026 to large and medium operators. A delegated act adopted on 13 July would remove leather, re-treaded tyres and vulcanised rubber articles, but as of 15 September 2026 it awaits Official Journal publication, so keep preparing. Our Türkiye export logistics update covers these rules for goods made in Türkiye.
Since 3 September the EU has suspended imports of Brazilian beef, poultry, eggs, honey and other animal products. For poultry and honey, a Commission report and then a vote of member-state experts come next, according to Poultrymed (5 September); no date is set.
Why plan the onward truck before the box is discharged?
With yards at 88 to 90%, plan the onward truck before the box is discharged. Take an import box stripped at a Rotterdam cross-dock, its cargo switched from Rhine barge to one 13.6 m curtainsider: 8 pallets of power tools for Duisburg (380 kg each), 10 of flat-pack furniture for Cologne (450 kg) and 12 of small kitchen appliances for Frankfurt (300 kg), none stackable.
The loading algorithm placed all 30 Euro pallets, 11,140 kg, in reverse drop order, with the drive axle at 9,453 kg of its 11,500 kg limit (82.2%). The 50.74% volume is deliberate: non-stackable pallets use floor, not height. Try it in the load planner, or see how many pallets fit in a 13.6 m trailer.
What this means for your shipments
| Corridor or node | Condition | Impact window | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotterdam: APMT Maasvlakte II, ECT | Yards about 90% and 83%; ECT barge delays 24–72 h (K+N, 2–8 Sep) | Second half of Sep | Book haulage and release before berthing |
| German hubs | No deal, no strike call (15 Sep); Bremerhaven 88% | 15–30 Sep | No tight transhipments |
| Rhine via Kaub | 28 cm (15 Sep); below 77 cm to 27 Sep (BfG) | At least to 27 Sep | Surcharge in writing; truck back-up |
| Italian rail | Tarvisio–Udine to 20 Sep; Arona–Domodossola 18–20 Sep; strike listed 20–21 Sep | 18–21 Sep, then backlog | Move departures |
| Brenner road, southbound | Kufstein dosing 21, 28 Sep, 5 Oct; Luegbrücke over 7.5 t 19, 26 Sep, 2–3 Oct | To 5 Oct | Avoid those days |
| EU e-commerce imports | €3 duty since 1 Jul; identifiers and handling fee by 1 Nov | 1 Nov | Load identifiers; budget for the fee |
- Before each APMT Maasvlakte II or ECT import berths, book the truck or barge and the customs release.
- Until at least 27 September, get every Rhine barge surcharge in writing and hold a truck alternative.
- Before 1 November, load product identifiers, keep identical goods on one line and budget for the handling fee.
- In Q4 contracts, make Brazilian poultry and honey purchases conditional on the experts' vote.
What to watch before November
- ver.di's bargaining commission decides next; as of 15 September 2026, a deal or a strike call could come at short notice.
- 19, 21 and 24 September: the first Gemini Suez sailings, if the routings announced on 14 September hold.
- 5 October: the Q3 price for CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) certificates.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rotterdam congested in September 2026?
In the yards, yes. Kuehne+Nagel put APMT Maasvlakte II at about 90% and ECT at about 83% in the week of 2 to 8 September, with ECT barge and feeder delays of 24 to 72 hours, while vessels waited 1.5 days. Book onward transport before your vessel berths.
How low is the Rhine at Kaub, and when will barges load fully again?
Kaub read 28 cm on 15 September 2026, after a record single-digit low in mid-August. BfG gives a 100% probability that it stays below the 77 cm low-water mark to 27 September, and there's no forecast recovery date, so plan on part-loaded barges.
Is PPWR already in force, and what paperwork do I need?
Yes. PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026. Each packaging type needs technical documentation, an EU Declaration of Conformity, heavy-metal data and, for food contact, PFAS data, type or batch markings with the manufacturer's details. You also need EPR registration in each Member State where you sell. The sorting label isn't required yet.
Has EUDR been delayed again, and did leather drop out of scope?
No new delay. EUDR applies from 30 December 2026 to large and medium operators and from 30 June 2027 to other micro and small ones. A delegated act adopted on 13 July would remove leather, but it's awaiting Official Journal publication as of 15 September 2026, so leather is still in scope.
Sources: Kuehne+Nagel port bulletins (19 to 25 August, 2 to 8 September 2026); Maersk (14 August, 14 September); ver.di (2 September); ZDS (10 September); ELWIS and BfG (14 and 15 September); Contargo (15 September); ADAC (11 September); RFI (18 August, 10 September); Italian transport ministry strike register (checked 15 September); ASFINAG and Eurotransport (Brenner calendar); Drewry WCI (10 September); European Commission (30 June, 13 July); European Parliament (26 March); ZSVR (12 August); business.gov.uk (4 September); Euronews and Poultrymed (3 and 5 September). Updated: 15 September 2026. Changelog: 15 September 2026, first edition. If a figure has moved, tell us and we will correct it.