Alkagesta Highlights Rising Demurrage Risk Amid Route Disruptions and Port Congestion in 2025

Sliema, Malta 2025

Alkagesta, a leading international energy and maritime trading company, has released an analysis of the evolving demurrage landscape, driven by longer voyages, port congestion, and route disruptions across global shipping networks.

The company notes that geopolitical tensions, security incidents, and persistent infrastructure bottlenecks have significantly extended voyage times and increased operational volatility. In particular, disruptions to Red Sea and Suez Canal traffic have forced many vessels to reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, resulting in voyages extended by 10–14 days and higher fuel consumption at major transshipment hubs such as Singapore, Fujairah, and Rotterdam. These changes have created tighter arrival windows, unpredictable NOR patterns, and intensified congestion at alternative ports, leading to elevated demurrage exposure.

In parallel, container operations have seen average global demurrage and detention charges rise by approximately 8% year-on-year in 2025. Port congestion, reduced free-time allowances, and misaligned back-to-back contracts have amplified cost exposure for cargo interests.

Alkagesta emphasizes that legal and contractual diligence is more critical than ever. Recent arbitration and court decisions demonstrate that demurrage claims may be lost if supporting documentation is incomplete or submitted outside contractual time bars, particularly under complex routing or emergency transit conditions.

Alkagesta’s Response
To address these challenges, Alkagesta has enhanced its internal processes:
Early-warning demurrage analytics: monitoring live port congestion and routing data to identify high-risk voyages and engage counterparties proactively.

Clause engineering: refining voyage and time charter contracts with precise laytime rules, clear allocation of extraordinary routing risk, and robust but practical documentation and time-bar provisions.

Operational discipline and training: continuous upskilling of claims and operations teams to ensure compliance with case law, best practices, and timely submission of supporting documents.

Looking Ahead
Alkagesta warns that shipping disruptions will remain a defining feature of global trade, making demurrage a strategic risk parameter rather than a routine post-voyage calculation. Through proactive monitoring, contractual refinement, and close collaboration between commercial, operations, legal, and claims teams, Alkagesta continues to safeguard clients against avoidable demurrage losses while maintaining operational resilience in a volatile market.

About Alkagesta
Alkagesta is a global commodity trading house specializing in petroleum products, fertilizers, and biofuels. Established in Malta in 2018, the company operates as a multinational enterprise with 17 offices and representations worldwide. Alkagesta maintains partnerships with 28 international banks and conducts trading activities across 42 countries, facilitating over 7 million metric tons of commodity flows annually. Its extensive logistics network includes access to more than 700,000 cubic meters of storage capacity across Europe and Asia, supporting efficient and resilient global supply chains.

In addition to its core activities, Alkagesta selectively engages in spot trading of petrochemicals, agricultural commodities, and metals. The company offers fully integrated trading capabilities — from sourcing and storage to delivery — underpinned by robust risk management, compliance, and governance frameworks.

Alkagesta was founded in 2018 by its management team and remains privately held and governed by senior leadership. Senior leadership, including the founding team, holds a significant equity stake in the company, which continues to grow in alignment with performance and strategic contribution. Today, the Group employs over 150 professionals and is built on tested systems, experienced governance, and a culture of continuous development.

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www.alkagesta.com