Wildfires spread in Europe, causing widespread disruptions to cross-border logistics between France and West Africa

This summer, Europe is experiencing a new round of extreme heat waves, with prolonged high temperatures and low rainfall exacerbating the region's drought and sharply increasing the risk of forest wildfires. Since early July, large-scale forest fires have erupted successively in several southern European countries such as France, Spain, and Italy. The combination of high temperatures, drought, and strong winds has led to the rapid spread of the fire. The main roads and railways in many countries have been temporarily blocked and suspended, and cross-border sea, land, and air freight links are under comprehensive pressure. Leading logistics companies such as Dexin and GLS have issued emergency warnings for logistics delays across the entire line. Foreign trade shipping companies need to make advance shipping plans and communicate with customers.

In this round of fires, France and Spain were the most severely affected, and both countries have activated the highest level of emergency response, evacuating more than 300000 people in total. The fire in the Gironde department in southwestern France is a core disaster area in the country, with a burned area of 42000 hectares. The fire continues to approach the Bordeaux urban area. French President Macron bluntly stated that this fire is the most serious forest fire that France has experienced since World War II. A series of fires have erupted in Spain, with multiple locations in Avila and western Madrid merging, covering a large area of the country. The authorities have declared a national state of emergency. The EU has urgently activated civil protection mechanisms and dispatched firefighting aircraft and rescue personnel from multiple countries to assist in extinguishing the fire. However, meteorological forecasts show that regional temperatures will rise again this week, with no effective rainfall in the short term. Thoroughly extinguishing the fire may take weeks or even months, and logistics restrictions may continue for a long time.

The large-scale fire directly hit Europe's land, port, and air transportation channels, causing a significant decline in cross-border logistics efficiency. At the level of land transportation, the core trunk line between France and Spain is strictly controlled: the A63 highway connecting Bordeaux, France to the Spanish border is closed and restricted in sections; Several main roads and provincial highways in central and northern Spain, as well as around Madrid, have been blocked due to fire and personnel evacuation. Railway transportation has been suspended simultaneously, and the railway lines in the Gironde department of France have been temporarily adjusted. The French state-owned railway SNCF has suspended services south of Bordeaux; The large-scale suspension and diversion of high-speed rail and intercity commuter lines around Madrid, Spain, seriously hinder the cross-border container cargo flow between France and the Iberian Peninsula.

The risk of port congestion in the process of port transportation has significantly increased. Although key ports such as Bordeaux and Sagento maintain normal berthing operations, external land channels are blocked, and container trucks cannot enter and exit the port area for container pickup and return. The storage density in container yards continues to increase, and the risks of delayed vessel berthing and high demurrage fees continue to increase. Air cargo transportation is also affected by thick smoke. The two core airports of Bordeaux and Madrid are affected by firefighting operations and low altitude thick smoke, resulting in reduced air cargo capacity, decreased takeoff and landing efficiency, and significantly prolonged air cargo delivery time.

Affected by traffic blockade and road control, leading international logistics companies have successively issued official warnings. Deutsche Bahn announces that the public and railway lines in the western region of France continue to be interrupted, making it impossible to ensure stable pick-up and delivery services; GLS updates delivery risks by country: delays in delivery across regions such as Guadalajara and Zaragoza in central and northern Spain; The Cestas station in the Gironde department of France is blocked by fire and unable to operate. Goods are diverted to other stations, and packages in remote areas are delayed for more than 7 working days, and urgent delivery services are suspended.

We would like to remind all foreign trade shippers and freight forwarders that there are shipping plans for France, Spain, and Southern Europe routes in the near future. Please follow up with the latest risk notifications from cooperative logistics providers in real time, and focus on confirming changes in the delivery time in the affected areas. Synchronize logistics delays with overseas purchasers in advance, manage expected delivery time, and reduce customer complaints and compensation disputes caused by information gaps. Flexibly adjust transportation plans before shipment, prioritize avoiding core fire control areas, reasonably reserve logistics buffer periods, closely monitor updates on fire and traffic control in Europe, and minimize freight losses caused by wildfires.

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather worldwide continues to intensify the impact on cross-border supply chains. We will continue to track the latest developments in European fires, road traffic, and port operations, and synchronize logistics adjustment notifications in a timely manner to provide real-time information support for stable cross-border freight links for our customers.

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