Over the past four weeks Port Overview has made over 220 different status updates, many of which have impacted the flow of cargo in and out of various terminals. All main Egyptian ports have been impacted by the civil disturbances leaving some of the terminals operating with reduced hours due to limited customs activities, industrial action or curfews imposed in the localities. Bad weather sporadically hampered operations and last Friday the Emma Maersk suffered technical problems shortly after commencing its Suez Canal transit and had to be towed to safety to the SCCT terminal. In North Africa operations remained fluid although there were security concerns in some Maghreb ports such as Benghazi, Tripoli and Algiers with the conflict in Mali, the hijacking in Algeria and elevated threats in the region. In the Horn of Africa, the main news was that China Merchants Holdings acquired a 23.5% share of Port de Djibouti SA for US$185 million. In West Africa, the main ports of Lagos were impacted by the explosion of a tanker at Tin Can Island whilst discharging fuel, and the berthing window system at Tema was temporarily removed due to the replacement of fenders at the terminal which continue installation into February. Several ports experienced congestion difficulties and Matadi suffered a prolonged strike by truckers. In East Africa, truckers in Mombasa reacted to new axle weight restrictions with stoppages that blocked weighbridge access, and white collar port workers went on strike. Flooding impacted a major inland artery to and from Dar Es Salaam whilst access to both Beira and Maputo have been impacted by the severe inland flooding. A seasonal tropical cyclone briefly impacted ports in the Indian Ocean Islands. In Southern Africa, both Luanda and Walvis Bay experienced some congestion, while the main ports in South Africa were almost continuously impacted by strong winds ; in Durban construction works have also caused congestion and the new Compulsory Pre-Advice system replacing CTOs (Container Terminal Orders) for export containers entering Durban ro-ro Point and Maydon Wharf Multi- Purpose Terminal come into effect in the middle of February. www.portoverview.com
