CMA CGM Chinese New Year and Coronavirus Impact

Loading and unloading in the port of Wuhan have been suspended until further notice

In the latest update of CMA CGM on the outbreak of the so-called new coronavirus in the province of Hubei in China and the impact on its operations, the shipping company reported that they are closely monitoring the situation as part of their commitment to ensure the safety of their employees while working to mitigate any possible impact on their customers.

As of February 4, 2020, and considering the extension of the Chinese New Year holidays, CMA CGM reported that except for Wuhan, focus of the epidemic, all the Group’s operations, including terminals, warehouses, warehouses, offices and other facilities , continue to operate without interruption as usual.

In that order, loading and unloading movements in Wuhan port have been suspended until further notice. Given this, CMA CGM customer service teams are in close contact with all affected customers by monitoring the status of shipments and discussing alternative transportation plans.

On the other hand, the shipping company assured that the emergency management teams are monitoring the situation daily and continue reviewing the specific procedures and guidelines in all the offices of the CMA CGM Group in China and said that all the offices of the Group have a solid Plan Business Contingency (BCP) ready, in case the situation intensifies.

In addition, the shipping company said its offices continue to provide essential services during the extended holidays of the Chinese New Year and that they expect to be fully operational as of February 10.

Health and safety measures

From the shipping company they said that ensuring the health and safety of all their employees and partners is a priority, so they have taken important preventive and proactive measures before, during and after the Chinese New Year to ensure safeguarding health in the best possible way and the safety of its employees and thus continue managing its daily operations with little or no impact on the supply chains of its customers.

They also announced that visitors to our offices will be asked to wear a mask and use hand sanitizers before entering the premises.

As regards the protection of the health of its crew, strict hygiene measures have been established on board ships. This is how, to limit their exposure to the virus, they are restricting the entry and exit of their crews in the affected ports. “Our sailors must comply and cooperate with local authorities for any pre-quarantine control,” they said.

Detention and Demurrage (D&D)

In addition, considering the exceptional circumstances, CMA CGM will grant additional free time for D&D in the Chinese ports as follows:

-For containers that have already exceeded their standard free time conditions, additional free time will be granted between January 31 and February 9 inclusive.

-For containers whose free time ends before February 9, an extension of free time will be granted until February 9 inclusive.

Capacity adjustment

Following the extension of the holidays for the Chinese New Year, CMA CGM is adjusting its capacity accordingly, and thanked the customers in advance for keeping in touch with sales and customer service of the shipping company.

© Mundo Marítimo.