The global leader in maritime transportation has refused to dock at the port of Odesa due to customs actions.
MSC, the world leader in container shipping, has canceled its first call at the port of Odesa since the full-scale invasion began.
This was reported by the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine.
“The reason for this decision was the unwarranted inspections of cargo and delays in customs clearance of export containers with agricultural products for an indefinite period, causing the cargo to be blocked for an unknown duration. This also leads to additional costs for storage and demurrage, which can reach $2,000–3,000,” the statement said.
The Association noted that such customs actions jeopardize the launch of a regular container service to the ports of Greater Odesa. This is despite the fact that MSC had planned to connect Odesa via feeder routes with one of the largest Turkish Mediterranean hubs, the port of Tekirdağ.
Meanwhile, the global leader in container shipping, Maersk Group, is launching the first container service to the ports of Greater Odesa since the start of the full-scale war.