Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines
Imports and Exports
Other
Sea Freight

Lines once again skipping CT

25 Feb 2021 - by Eugene Goddard
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Shipping lines are once again opting to bypass the Port of Cape Town because of the impact of wind-related disruption to schedule integrity.

According to Terry Gale, chairperson of the Exporters’ Club Western Cape, Maersk is one of the ocean carriers that is skipping the port and heading straight for the Port of Ngqura on account of automotive industry dynamics in the Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) region.

“Maersk looks at weather predictions for the Port of Cape Town and plans ahead,” Gale said.

“It means that they often sail past Cape Town because it helps them to maintain schedule integrity down our coast.”

Gale added that it was usually on the southbound leg, but that it affected imports and exports on the whole.

“No one benefits from the impact of a line like Maersk not calling at Cape Town when it’s supposed to. It affects everyone in the freight sector.”

As a result, efforts are under way to seek solutions for Cape Town’s stormy seas through forming a task team that will involve public and private sector stakeholders.

If all goes according to plan, officials from the Western Cape legislature, freight forwarders, line operators and port authorities are expected to have an initial meeting early next week to address Cape Town’s schedule integrity issues.

Gale said one freight forwarder, a multi-national that is the biggest exporter of wine from the Western Cape, had actually compiled a list of vessels that had bypassed the port so far this year.

These are the Yangtze Shanghai on January 21 and the Santa Barbara on the 25th of the same month.

Two days later three vessels omitted to call at Cape Town: the Santa Ursula, Marathopolis, and the Maersk Vallvik.

Thus far, for the month of February, the following vessels have sailed past the port from the first (in order): Seaspan Lebu, Cosco Ashdod, Santa Rosa, Athena, APL Santiago, Maersk Luz, Navios Spring, Akadimos, MSC Korea, Santa Clara, GH Leste, Santa Barbara, and the CSCL Africa.

“It cannot continue like this,” Gale said.

“We need to come up with workable ways to ensure the port’s schedule integrity is restored and sustained."

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Resilience required for air sector disruption – executive

Air Freight

Air traffic in the region is expected to rise by an average of 6.4% annually.

Today 11:45
0 Comments

Insight of the week: legally ditching higher duties

The actual practice can be traced back to 1882, when an importer in the United States had sugar coated with molasses.

Today 11:30
0 Comments

How to avoid the fear of being evaluated

Freight & Trading Weekly
Logistics
Skills & Training

Lifelong learning has become the norm across all economic sectors, both in the UK and globally.

Today 10:45
0 Comments

Skills needed to unfreeze African growth potential

Logistics

Growth in demand for cold chain efficiencies is being driven by economic development and rising income.

Today 10:45
0 Comments

Iran seeks full control of Russian Caspian Sea terminal

Logistics

The port handles a broad range of goods, including grain, timber, metal products and fertilisers.

Today 10:30
0 Comments

Port of Ngqura to welcome first ultra large container vessel

Logistics
Sea Freight

The ULCV stands nearly three metres taller than vessels typically handled at the terminal.

Today 08:45
0 Comments

Global ferry body strikes deal to boost safety

Logistics
Sea Freight

The agreement promotes cooperation between international members and operators in West and Central Africa.

Today 08:15
0 Comments

SITA appoints Pedro Alves as senior vice president

Air Freight
Technology

The new VP is taking the reins at a time when the needs of border agencies are fast evolving.

Today 07:15
0 Comments

Drivers targeted in latest cross-border scam at Kasumbalesa

Logistics
Road/Rail Freight

The Copperbelt’s most important border has been flagged for another scam aimed at fleecing truck drivers.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Automated multiple entries secure declaration ease on the TKC

Logistics
Road/Rail Freight
Technology

Removing single manifest entries is a major headache for consol cargo clients transiting through Botswana.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Global air cargo demand rises

Air Freight
Logistics

But some trade lanes have experienced a decline despite increased capacity.

Yesterday
0 Comments

Bank launches new SME exporter programme

Imports and Exports
Logistics

The development platform targets black-owned SMEs with turnovers under R50 million.

Yesterday
0 Comments
  • More

FeatureClick to view

Road & Rail 27 June 2025

Border Beat

Forum tightens net against border corruption
25 Jun 2025
Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Road Logistics Pricing Specialist

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
02 Jul
New

Operations Manager

Lee Botti & Associates
Cape Town
02 Jul
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us