Against an unpredictable political situation, Egyptian ports and terminals were still on their feet and working to clear congestion in February – although this could change with little notice.
Robert Hambleton of the Suez Canal Container Terminal told Port Strategy in February, that despite it “having been a rocky couple of weeks” the terminal was making good progress against the backlog.
He went on to say that some delays had been “due to workers being understandably concerned about the safety and security of their families and property on leaving home to come into work”.
Certainly a lack of officials and dockworkers has delayed customs clearance and deliveries, with some congestion being experienced at ports up and down the troubled area.
Further, although Mr Hambleton played down the stories of sit-ins to protest low wages and poor conditions at businesses owned by the Suez Canal Authority, CNN reported that thousands of Egyptian workers had gone on strike across the country.
