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MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Maersk and CMA-CGM are not accepting new bookings to Russia from March 1
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Maersk is seeing effects of the Russia-Ukraine war on global supply chain flows, including delays and detention of cargo by customs authorities across various transshipment hubs
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Delivery of essential goods will continue, according to MSC and Maersk
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Maersk and CMA-CGM are suspending new bookings to and from Russia from March 1 owing to the Russia-Ukraine war.
In a service update on March 1, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company said it was temporarily stopping all cargo bookings to/from Russia, covering all access areas including Baltics, Black Sea and Far East Russia. But it will continue to accept and screen bookings for delivery of essential goods such as food, medical equipment and humanitarian goods.
MSC said it is “closely monitoring the advice from governments about new sanctions, following the February 2022 conflict in Ukraine, and has been operating shipping and inland services to and from Russia in full compliance with international sanctions measures, applicable to it.”
Maersk in a March 1 update said “new Maersk bookings within ocean, air and intercontinental rail to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended, with the exception of foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies (bar dual-use items).”
The suspension covers all Russian gateway ports.
The Danish line said it is “starting to see the effect on global supply chain flows such as delays and detention of cargo by customs authorities across various transshipment hubs – overall resulting in unpredictable operational impacts.”
It added “significant delays” should be expected with the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany “holding back vessels en route to Russia in search of restricted commodities, primarily dual-use items. The inspections of export and transshipment cargo bound for Russia are related to implementing procedures to comply with sanctions and export controls recently imposed by different jurisdictions.”
Maersk said its “teams are in constant contact with the local customs and port authorities to speed up the release of all goods not impacted by sanctions and export controls, giving priority to humanitarian items such as foods, medicines and hygiene and personal care. The delays are expected to have ripple effects across the regional ocean network, resulting in further delays and congestion.”
The shipping line said it will do its best to deliver cargo already underway and bookings placed before the March 1 suspension. “Consequently, we will still call Russia although we will not accept new bookings unless they belong in the exception categories mentioned above.”
Maersk noted that since it “acts in full compliance with legal regulations and its policies, we cannot receive from or make payments to any sanctioned Russian banks, or any other sanctioned party.”
CMA-CGM in a March 1 update said it continues to “monitor the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea region. Our utmost priorities remain to protect our employees and ensure as much as possible the continuity of your supply chain.”
It is suspending all bookings to and from Russia until further notice.
