Maersk suspends container transport to and from Russia with ships that also call at Polish ports

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Danish shipping mogul AP Moller-Maersk has temporarily suspended all cargo (container) bookings, i.e. cargo space, on ships operating liner services to and from Russia because of the tightening of Western sanctions. However, the ships will (at least for the time being) continue to call at Russian ports unless there are no sanction-exempt cargoes on them.

The move follows similar decisions by Japanese-controlled Ocean Network Express (ONE), Germany’s Hapag Lloyd and Swiss-Italian Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC).

The suspension applies to all Russian ports but will not include foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies, Maersk said.

– As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new Maersk bookings within ocean, air and intercontinental rail to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended – the shipowner said in an official statement.

One of the world’s two largest maritime container ships operates routes to St Petersburg and Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, and Vladivostok and Vostochny on Russia’s east coast, among others. On February 24, Maersk and MSC suspended service to Ukraine.

Shipping alliance partners 2M have implemented countermeasures, including diverting ships away from the conflict zone.

Maersk also has a 31 per cent stake in Russian port operator Global Ports, which runs six terminals in Russia and two in Finland. Other shareholders in the port company include Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Russian businessman Sergey Shiskarev. Maersk is currently reviewing the shareholder structure of the Russian terminal operator.

– With Global Ports, we are analysing how to adapt to the ever-changing sanctions and restrictions and preparing the possible next steps – Maersk reported.

On Monday, the Danish shipping giant said it was “reviewing its options regarding Russia”.

“Our preparations include the possible suspension of Maersk bookings to and from Russia on ocean and inland routes” – the company reported that day. “We are closely monitoring developments and assessing the best options for our customers and their cargoes. For cargo already underway and bookings placed before this suspension was announced, we will do our utmost to deliver it to its intended destination” – Maersk added.

The UK has already closed its ports to Russian or Russian-linked ships. It remains to be seen whether a similar move will be made by the EU or, on their own, by individual EU member states. But even without a halt in ship traffic from and to Russia, various types of sanctions (e.g. the SWIFT system closure to Russia, which restricts international trade) may also affect Polish ports.

Deepwater Container Terminal (DCT) Gdansk is the largest container terminal in Poland and the Baltic Sea. In 2021, it handled just over 2.1 million TEUs (about 66 per cent of the container handling of Polish seaports). Regular shipping routes with calls at Russian ports make up a significant part of the feeder services operated by DCT.

The feeder services to Russia will not be stopped or suspended for now. Ships will continue to sail between DCT and Russian ports. Still, with Maersk and some other global carriers (at least for the time being), they will not carry containers with cargo other than food, medical supplies and humanitarian aid on this route.

Most of the feeder services that call at DCT serve Russian ports (including Kaliningrad). DCT typically handles 12 to 14 vessels from feeder services each week. Six to eight of these are services calling at Russian ports.

The feeder network constantly changes in detail, although its basic structure is quite stable. It can be estimated that the total capacity of feeder services connecting the port of Gdansk (DCT) with Russian ports is about 70 per cent of the theoretical capacity of all feeder services with calls at DCT.

However, it should be stressed that not all cargoes on these vessels are destined for or from Russia. Practically in each of the feeder services, apart from the DCT terminal and terminals in Russia, calls to other ports are also listed, ranging from just two (as with the Gdansk-Kaliningrad-Riga or Gdansk-Kaliningrad-Kotka services) to (in one case) even six or seven.

Transhipment of containers originating from or destined for Russian ports is a significant part of the business of the DCT, which does not disclose exactly how much.

As PortalMorski.pl learned from Marcin Kamola, DCT’s Communications & Marketing Manager, the terminal surveys the situation and its consequences for DCT. Still, it is waiting for the shipowners’ reactions and decisions. So, no official announcement or details are to be expected for the time being.

source: PortalMorski.pl