French ports prepare for more strikes in March

French ports are bracing for more strike disruption in March after walkouts Feb. 26-28 failed to yield concessions on the country’s pension reform, risking bottlenecks for oil logistics in the South.

Staff walkouts arranged by the French Federation of Port and Dock Workers, part of the CGT union, snarled activity across Fos-sur-Mer, Le Havre, Saint-Nazaire, Rouen, Marseille and Bordeaux between Feb. 26-28, crimping crude imports and some fuel dispatches.

According to French news outlet Le Marin, strike activity is set to ramp up again in March, with four-hour work stoppages planned for eight days during the month and an additional 72-hour strike scheduled March 18-20.

Port and dock workers have been steadily ramping up protests through 2025, alleging that French President Emmanuel Macron has reneged on a promise to exempt them from the government’s 2023 pension reform.

The unpopular law raising France’s retirement to age 64 from 62 triggered mass demonstrations in 2023, but petered out across the ports when the union said it had secured a concession for its workers.

In a Feb. 25 statement quoted by Le Marin, the CGT said that the government had not upheld its commitment not to apply the pension reform to dockers.

The statement said that the government had not engaged with the union, and shared plans to meet March 25 to discuss further action in April.

Another union, MEDEF, said Feb. 25 that strikes at the ports could trigger severe supply chain disruptions, anticipating a 25% drop in turnover at the ports in February.

Oil flows under pressure
Activity starting Feb. 26 appeared to take a toll on French crude deliveries, which it mostly imports via its Southern ports.

The mainland has 12 ports that receive oil, but three of the impacted hubs — Le Havre, Marseille and Saint-Nazaire – account for the bulk of its supply.

According to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data, crude oil deliveries to the three ports on the week ending Feb. 28 totaled 425,000 b/d, down from average levels of around 800,000 b/d – 900,000 b/d.

The drop in deliveries was likely offset by some 1.4 million b/d of crude oil delivered the previous week, however, and a January average of over 1 million b/d in imports.

In refined products markets, export activity from the South of France appeared mostly unaffected, jumping higher on the week.

In the LPG market, however, sources said the strike activity forced exports to be suspended from Lavera, a Petroineos refinery with an petrochemicals facility.

According to trade sources, LPG cargo deliveries from the 210,000 b/d refinery were halted by the activity, contributing to a slightly tighter butane market in the Mediterranean.

Petroineos was not available for comment.

Nearby, Rhone Energies’ Fos-sur-Mer refinery was in the process of returning to full operations after suffering previous weather disruption that had already forced it to adjust its throughput. The La Mede biorefinery, operated by TotalEnergies, appeared unaffected.

Neither Rhone Energies nor TotalEnergies were available for comment.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed the FOB West Med butane coaster market at $729/mt Feb. 28, close to a recent peak of $762/mt Feb. 11, the highest since April 2023.
Source: Platts