Strikes and Blockades Restrict Imports at APM Terminals Gothenburg

Due to the high yard density mainly caused by the ongoing labor blockades, Sweden’s APM Terminals Gothenburg is forced to limit import containers to be able to dispatch export cargo inside the terminal.

“APM Terminals Gothenburg is working to reduce the yard density, and warns that it may result in lack of certain import products into stores in Sweden, since import containers may need re-routed before reaching destinations in Sweden,” APM Terminals Gothenburg said.

“The overtime blockade reduces the capacity of the terminal with around 3,000 containers weekly, something that affects not only the export industry but also imports to Sweden,” the terminal added.

Since other ports in the country are already near their full capacity, there are no options to substitute the present reduced capacity of Gothenburg’s container terminal, according to the terminal.

Some 20,000 containers move in and out of Swedish ports per week and 10,000 of them are said to flow through APM Terminals Gothenburg.

The prolonged dispute at APM Terminals Gothenburg saw another industrial action on January 24, 2017, with an eight-hour strike held by the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union (SDU). The cause of the dispute is a change in the company’s personnel policies.

“We at APM Terminals are concerned how this effects Swedish trade and industries but also the Swedish people,” Henrik Kristensen, CEO at APM Terminals Gothenburg, said.