Zim suspends direct port calls in Israel

摘要

Zim has abandoned calls at Haifa and Ashdod on its ZCS, NEC and FMX services, blaming 'severe slowdowns and stoppage of work at these ports by organised labour'. The ZCS schedule is a pendulum service between the Mediterranean and Far East via the Panama Canal. The NEC service comes from northern Europe, and is run in partnership with Hamburg Sud and Iscont Lines, and the FMX service comes from the Far East. Eastbound cargo already in the water or about to be booked will be transhipped at other eastern Mediterranean ports, including Taranto, at shippers' expense. As outlined in 'To call or not to call', 67 October 2006, p70, Zim Line's ability to make shippers pay for transhipment this way is a legal minefield -particularly as EMTA ocean carrier members had advised shippers that from 15th September, their congestion surcharge in Ashdod would be be reduced from USD19/TEU to USD16/TEU. Haifa's charge of USD15/ TEU remains unchanged.