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All bookings for St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Novorossiysk are suspended as Maersk’s terminal service providers can’t handle shipments due to sanctions
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Maersk says foodstuff, medical and humanitarian supplies no longer exempted
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Company is working with Europe ports to clear backlogs and is looking at other hubs elsewhere. But it advises customers to halt shipping for now
Global container shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk said it is suspending acceptance of all cargo bookings to and from the Russian ports of St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Novorossiysk, as its terminal service providers could no longer handle shipments.
St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad are key ports on the Baltic Sea and Novorossiysk is a major hub on Russia’s Black Sea coast. Far East Russia is currently not impacted, the company said.
The company’s latest move comes as exporters and importers around the comply with economic sanctions that members of the United Nations have imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine began eight days ago.
Other major liner companies such as Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM, had announced earlier this week they were immediately suspending inbound and outbound bookings for Ukraine and Russia.
Maersk said in its latest customer advisory that this time around, it will suspend all inbound and outbound bookings for Russia, including previously exempted foodstuff, medical and humanitarian supplies.
“As the stability of our operations and our customers’ cargo is critical, we are now also temporarily stopping acceptance of all new Maersk bookings to/from St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Novorossiysk, regardless if the cargo is food, medical or humanitarian,” Maersk said.
Maersk said the suspension covers all new ocean, air and intercontinental rail bookings to/from Russia to comply with direct and indirect sanctions against that country. Adjustments are made regularly to the list of restrictions due to the sanctions’ ever-evolving situation, it said.
As the sanctions start to bite, “an increasing number of our terminal service providers in Europe are advising us that they will no longer be able to handle any additional cargo originating or destined for Russia, including transhipments,” Maersk said.
The company said it is working with ports in Europe to clear backlogs and is exploring options in other ports outside the continent so that it could can keep its promise of delivering customers’ cargoes to their intended destinations.
“It is key for Maersk that we protect our people, minimize supply chain disruption and do not add to the global congestion in ports and depots. We have communicated different options that customers impacted by the crisis can make use of,” the advisory said.
These options included free change of destination (COD) services and no cancellation fees on bookings to/from Ukraine and Russia, as well as extension until March 11 of the interim stop of the Detention and Demurrage clock for Ukraine imports/exports and Russia exports.
“A final option is for our customers to do nothing, bearing in mind the increasing congestion in European hubs,” Maersk said.
The company said it will not charge hub storage fees for cargoes still on their way to Russia and Ukraine that it won’t be able to deliver due to the restrictions, but cannot guaranty that the boxes will be stored in the port where they are first discharged. It said it might move the boxes to nearby ports to ease congestion.
