Economist Vincent Starmer of the Institute for The World Economy in Kiel, Germany, warned that nearly a third of goods meant to be shipped are stuck, The Politico newspaper reported May 4. The resulting delivery delays are exacerbating supply chain crises, leading to shortages and higher prices, especially for electronic goods imported from China in Europe and the US.

Delays in shipments to Europe are estimated at around two months, as container ships take five to six weeks to reach the port of Hamburg in northern Germany, and it takes an additional two weeks for goods to be unloaded and delivered.

These cargo delays are sure to exacerbate supply chain crises that are intensifying after the first lockdown peak in the spring of 2020. The outbreak initially disrupted the global economy, forcing shippers to cancel shipments. As a result, many container ships remain anchored off the coast of western and Chinese ports. The result has been unusually long port service processes at more than three-quarters of the world's ports in the past two years.