Hapag-Lloyd CEO says higher efficiency could help port waiting times

FRANKFURT - Hapag-Lloyd could clear pandemic-related logjams in container ports faster if operators improved the turnaround of boxes, the German logistics company's chief executive said on Friday.

"There is a lot that still can be done in terms of efficiency, not only on the terminal side, but also the ability to deliver boxes to customers," CEO Rolf Habben Jansen told analysts in an earnings call.

"That would allow us to get rid of some of the congestion," he said of the disruptions resulting from unexpected demand spurts, labour shortages and traffic snarl-ups amid the coronavirus pandemic.