Geopolitical Situation in India and Pakistan:
In light of the current situation between India and Pakistan, some shipping lines have advised that their vessels will now not call directly at Karachi port and that Pakistan traffic to the world will move on feeder services to either Colombo port in Sri Lanka or the United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi port for onward connection to final destinations.
MSC Line has put in place a revised vessel service structure and schedule to serve Exports and Imports. While the Import set-up will be announced separately, they have announced the launch of a dedicated weekly service, named the “Pakistan Colombo Shuttle Service.” This service will transport all export units to Colombo, where they will be connected to various services for their final destinations. Several services from Colombo handle multiple sectors’ cargo for North West Continent, Baltic, Scandinavia, and Ireland – Australia Express & Britania Service
CMA-GCM Line have undertaken a thorough review of their maritime services to ensure the continued reliability and safety of shipments. These developments have necessitated adjustments to their export and import services to and from Pakistan. They have announced the launch of an updated PIKEX service, enabling robust connections to and from Pakistan, thanks to their strategic hubs in Khalifa and Colombo.
OOCL will be omitting Pakistan as a port of call at present, further details will be advised in due course. Other carriers as yet have not announce any on-going plans.
Ongoing Congestion and Delays at North Europe’s Major Ports:
North Europe’s major ports, including Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and London Gateway, are facing severe congestion due to full container yards, labour shortages, and changes in carrier alliances.
These issues, compounded by strikes, low water levels on the Rhine, and disruptions to rail transport, are causing significant delays for vessels and cargo handling.
The situation is ongoing and expected to recur, with waiting times for vessels and barges often extending for several days.
CMA-CGM Line introduce Peak Season Surcharge to Australia:
CMA-CGM Group have announced a peak season surcharge of USD 300.00 per container will be implemented from 1st June, 2025 on southbound shipments from East and West Mediterranean ports to all Australian ports on their direct NEWMO service. The surcharge will apply to ports in Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Greece, and Turkey.
Patrick’s Brisbane Terminal Shutdown.
Patrick’s Brisbane Terminal will be closed for the day shift on 20th May 2025 for Infrastructure and system maintenance, there will be no work on any vessels or on container receivals and deliveries between the hours of 7am and 3pm on that day.
GPSM Transport Team will liaise directly with any clients that may be affected by this terminal closure.