Evergreen and OOCL suspend Qatar shipping services

Taiwan’s Evergreen and Hong Kong’s OOCL said on Wednesday they had suspended shipping services to Qatar after Arab countries severed diplomatic ties with the Gulf state and imposed port restrictions this week.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are among those to have cut ties with Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism, an accusation Qatar vehemently denies.

Qatar is dependent on imports for its basic needs, which are transported by land and sea. Container ships carry vital consumer supplies, including food. Fewer container services will also hurt Qatar’s ability to trade.

Evergreen, the world’s No. 6 container shipping line and OOCL, the world’s no. 7 carrier, said in separate statements that they had temporarily suspended services to and from Qatar until further notice.

Evergreen said this was “in light of the blockade imposed on Qatar”, while OOCL cited “the current political climate in the region”. “We are working closely with our stakeholders to address the impact on services,” OOCL added.

Denmark’s Maersk, the world’s biggest container shipping line, said on Tuesday it was unable to transport goods in or out of Qatar because it could not take them through the United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali. Maersk added that it was trying to find alternative routes.

In contrast, the world’s No. 2 line, MSC of Switzerland, said on Wednesday “cargo acceptance to and from Qatar is still ongoing”. (RTRS)