Freight News, Sea


Peel reinstates weekly Greenock/Rotterdam route

[ September 25, 2026   //   ]

Peel Ports Group has reinstated a weekly call in Greenock, Scotland by its BG Freight Line shortsea container arm. The route will be served by the two 1000TEU vessels.

Peel Ports operates bonded warehousing at Greenock, allowing whisky businesses to move bottled stock into storage without immediately paying UK excise duty. Duty can remain suspended while stock is held.

Peel says that a reliable service could be particularly valuable to Scotland’s independent distillers, bottlers and their supply chains, at a time when many are under considerable financial and trading pressure.

Clydeport director Jamie Strain said: “Independent whisky businesses are operating in an incredibly challenging market and anything we can do to take cost, delay and uncertainty out of exporting can make a real difference.” He added that the difficulties in moving products to overseas markets  remain a significant barrier, particularly for smaller businesses.

“This service gives exporters something very simple but critical, which is certainty. There will be a vessel at Greenock every week to take their goods, in full or part containers, to Rotterdam and from there they can connect with markets around the world.”

“For independent whisky businesses there is an additional opportunity. They can bring bottled stock into our bonded warehouse, hold it there without tying up cash unnecessarily in duty and then move quickly when they have a customer for it, potentially cutting fulfilment from days to hours.

“It can also reduce the need to move containers by road to ports elsewhere in the UK before export, cutting haulage and additional handling from the supply chain.

“BG Freight have been able to price this service very competitively meaning connections to Rotterdam for onward global shipping are available to Greenock customers at the same rate as sailing from the east coast.”

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