RIYADH: Danish shipping giant Maersk has stopped taking new bookings of goods and cargo for Sudan in light of the ongoing conflict in the country, according to a company statement.
The firm will monitor the situation and search for solutions to stabilize its supply chain services in the country, it added.
Due to the escalating violence and political unrest in Sudan, global supply chains strained by the Russia-Ukraine crisis are now experiencing additional disruptions, reported specialist news agency The Loadstar.
It added that other significant container carriers, including German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, have halted cargo bookings for the African country until further notice out of concern for operational risks.
Hapag-Lloyd stated: “Any bookings placed up to this date will be honored and shipped to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.”
French container transportation company CMA CGM announced it would add a $500 “extra risk coverage surcharge” for dry and reefer shipments from Europe, the Middle East, and India starting May 1.
Currently, all roads and bridges of Port Sudan are open for the transportation of goods, and load and discharge operations are proceeding normally inside the port, reported leading maritime insurer West of England P&I Club on Tuesday.
Port Sudan is crucial for oil exports from the landlocked neighboring country of South Sudan.
“Furthermore, the oil terminal at Bashayer, an essential facility that handles Sudan’s oil exports located near Port Sudan, is operating normally,” added West of England P&I Club.
In December, a consortium led by AD Ports Group and Invictus Investment signed a preliminary agreement with Sudan to build and operate the Abu Amama port and economic zone on the Red Sea with a $6 billion investment.
As the Sudanese conflict unravels, it is unclear how the deal will develop further.
Moreover, most Gulf airlines stopped operating in Sudan following a recent incident involving a Saudia passenger flight being shot at earlier this month.
According to an industry advisory, Emirates has announced a prolonged suspension of flight connections to Khartoum, the busiest airport in Sudan, through to May 31.
“The air space has been closed, disrupting air cargo shipments to Khartoum. Supply chain managers are dealing with difficult times to fulfill their customers’ requirements.” Joy John, director of sea and air freight at Mumbai-based Jet Freight Logistics, told The Loadstar.
