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HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)
France
FRLEH
Congested
Congestion Status
AIS limited in region
7d2.7 at anchor
Worsening
Trend
10 Apr 2026
Updated 30d ago
Active disruption at HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)— Le Havre 2.7 days. Yard 65%, reefers 75%. Vessel bunching.· Trend: worsening

Port Intelligence — What freight teams need to know

HAROPA suffered the worst decline among European top-10 ports in 2023 (double the Northern Range average). French port worker strikes in Jan-Feb 2025 caused severe congestion at Le Havre and Fos-sur-Mer with appointment waits around 10 days. Recurring strike risk is the defining characteristic of this port. Le Havre waits improved to ~1 day by Aug 2025 between strike episodes.

Weekly Operational Update
Congested

Week of 10 April 2026 · heavily_disrupted

Le Havre 2.7 days. Yard 65%, reefers 75%. Vessel bunching.

Vessels at Anchor — 4-week trend

—22–28 days ago
—15–21 days ago
—8–14 days ago
2.7Last 7 days
Situation is worsening
Customs Reality at HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)
10d
Published free time
5d
Effective free time

EU TRACES NT. French customs efficient when not disrupted by strikes. DGAL food inspections thorough.

Demurrage: $40/TEU/day · Detention: $28/TEU/day

Common Rejection Reasons

  • EU CHED requirements
  • French-specific labeling requirements (French language mandatory)
Cold Chain Reality at HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)
Mitigation:Monitor French union announcements. Have Antwerp/Rotterdam as contingency.
Failure point:Labor action — recurring
Significance:Moderate — French food import/export market
Primary failure mode:Strike action. Jan-Feb 2025: 10-day appointment waits during strikes.
Reefer plug availability:Adequate between strike periods
Alternative Ports to HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)

If disruption makes HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris) unviable for your cargo

Antwerp-BrugesBEANR
+$50/TEU
200 nm away+0h wait
Works for: Northern France via road/rail. Same hinterland overlap.
Not for: Paris/IDF where Le Havre is closest.
RotterdamNLRTM
+$60/TEU
250 nm away+6h wait
Works for: Northern France overflow during strikes.
Not for: Western France consignees.
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Live AIS Vessels

AIS coverage limited at this port. The free AIS tier has restricted coverage in some regions, particularly mainland China ports and parts of the Middle East.

Money Traps at HAROPA (Le Havre/Rouen/Paris)
Recurring French port strikes
10-day appointment waits during Jan-Feb 2025 strikes. Multiple episodes per year.
Monitor CGT/FO union announcements. Route via Antwerp or Rotterdam during strike periods.
EUR 10/TEU domestic transshipment surcharge (Maersk)
Maersk introduced May 2025 surcharge for road/rail/barge from Rotterdam/Antwerp.
Factor into cost comparison with direct Le Havre calls.
Seasonal Patterns
Jan-Mar (Peak strike risk)
French unions historically most active in winter/spring.
Contingency routing. Monitor union calendar.
Oct-Mar (Storm season)
North Sea/Channel storms.
Buffer ETAs.

Sources

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

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