Maersk Shipping Group will suspend all shipping activities to and from Russia due to sanctions targeting Russia by Western countries.
Maersk’s action follows similar statements by Ocean Network Express (ONE), Hapag Lloyd, and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The given reason is that sanctions are directly affecting the stability and safety of shipping operations.
(Maersk the largest shipping line stopped transportation to and from Russia)
Maersk will continue to ship food, medical products, and humanitarian goods to Russia.
Maersk uses transport routes to St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad in the Baltic Sea, Novorossiysk in the Black Sea, Vladivostok, and Vostochny in eastern Russia.
Maersk also owns a 31% stake in Global Ports, a Russian seaport company that currently operates six container terminals in Russia and 2 in Finland.
According to Maersk’s statement, this group is working with Global Ports to find ways to comply with the sanctions and prepare for the next steps.
Maersk employs about 500 people in Russia. Last week, Maersk completely suspended operations to Ukrainian ports; the group also has about 60 people in Odesa.