Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping line, says it will suspend deliveries to and from Russia due to the sanctions imposed against the country for invading Ukraine.
The company announced this in a statement on Tuesday.
Maersk said the suspension would cover all Russian ports but would not include foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies.
“As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new Maersk bookings within ocean and inland to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended,” the statement, seen by Reuters, reads.
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Confirmation of the plans comes after Maersk announced it was considering such a decision yesterday, and that it was ‘closely monitoring and preparing to comply with the ever-evolving sanctions and restrictions’ being imposed against Russia.
It said at the time that preparations included “a possible suspension of Maersk bookings to and from Russia on ocean and inland”.
“We are at the same time keeping a close eye on developments and assessing the best options for our customers and their cargo,” it added.
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Maersk has been active in Russia since 1992 and owns 31 percent of Global Ports, a Russian port operator.
The shipping company explained it is working with Global Ports in looking at “how to comply with the ever-evolving sanctions and restrictions and preparing possible next steps”.
The United States, European countries, United Kingdom and Canada have all imposed sanctions on Russia.
The measures include blocking certain banks’ access to the SWIFT payment system and freezing the assets of Russia’s central bank.
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