Container lines making daily adjustments to Japan service

Spokesmen for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) told LM that container lines are making daily adjustments to their deployment schedules to and from Japan.

“We are not aware of any ships being advised to cease service,” said the London-based spokesman, who added that the IMO is providing daily updates.

In Copenhagen, meanwhile, spokesmen for Maersk are saying that operations “are running as normal with the exception of certain ports like Sendai, Onahama, and Hachinohe, which suffered severe damages.”

Spokesmen added, however that this is subject to change:

“Depending on how the situation develops it may be decided to deviate vessels.”

Similarly, NOL in Singapore, is telling its shippers that they are declining bookings to the same locations in Japan because operational facilities are inaccessible or unavailable due to earthquake or tsunami damage.

“We are currently unable to move or deliver cargo to many locations in Japan according to original delivery schedules. This is due to interrupted rail, road and barge networks in northeastern Japan,” said NOL. “We are notifying customers in those circumstances.”

NOL has also established new routings to ensure that their vessels at sea remain 200 nautical miles from the area near damaged nuclear reactors where increased radiation levels have been detected.

“We are not transporting cargo into the area near the reactors, nor are we taking cargo from that area,” said spokesmen.

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