Tokyo: Japanese carrier NYK Line and Chinese flag carrier China Shipping Container Servives (CSCS) are among 16 different shipping lines seeking alternative ports of call following the flood disaster that has killed 94 and closed the Brazilian port of Itajai.
Following severe rains, the river ITajai-Acu burst its banks two days ago and flooded the port of Itajai. With the river flowing at 24 km per hour it batered Pier Number One, which is used by APMoller Terminals-owned Teconvi terminal, and completely destroyed it. Pier number Three has also suffered serious damage and only Pier number Four is, seemingly, intact. However, according to senior staff at the Itajai Port Authority (IPA), divers cannot examine the pier until the floodwater recedes and the river flow reduces speed.
Asian carrier line managers are now seeking alternative ports of call, including Santos and Paranagua to the north and Rio Grande to the south. IPA officials say the port will be closed for at least another week and it will take months to get services anywhere close to normality.
Luiz Araujo, the commercial direvctor for the Tecondi box terminal in Santos, told Seatrade Asia Online: "WSe have already hosted calls from NYK line, CSAV and Hapag Lloyd and we are expecting many more from ITajai over the next few weeks."
NYK 's NGX Aliance weekly service (with partners Maruba, Hamburg Sud) from Brazil to the Far East is diverting to Santos, as it the weekly VSA4 Europe service. China Shipping is still seeking an alternative port of call for its SEAS service and other carriers such as Yang Ming, Hanjin, Evergreen and Hyundai have also been regular callers at Itajai until the flood catastrophe and will be seeking alternatives today. [27/11/08]
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