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Ocean Network Express (ONE), has joined other liners halting port calls in Russia and Ukraine.
The Singapore-headquartered ocean carrier suspended bookings at Odessa, Ukraine and Novorossiysk, Russia with immediate effect until further notice, as concerns about supply chain disruptions rise in the shipping sector due to an escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"Due to the recent developments in Ukraine and Russia, we regret to inform you that our operations in the area are disrupted and our ability to complete the carriage of consignments to some destinations is, or is likely to become, obstructed," ONE said on February 28.
ONE also suspended booking acceptance to and from St. Petersburg, Russia until further notice, as it evaluates "operational feasibility", it said.
Earlier, other container shipping companies, such as MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM, have already announced suspensions of vessel calls to Ukraine until further notice.
Containers' trade has come to a standstill as the port is shut, Ravi Singh, a pulses broker in Odessa told S&P Global Platts, adding that supplies are still available, but nothing has been loaded in the last one week due to a halt in port activities.
Ukraine and Russia are among the world's largest exports of agricultural commodities, such as corn, pulses, and wheat.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also expressed concern over the impact of the conflict to the shipping industry and the plight of seafarers amid the conflict.
"I am gravely concerned about the spillover effects of the military action in Ukraine on global shipping, and logistics and supply chains, in particular the impacts on the delivery of commodities and food to developing nations and the impacts on energy supplies," IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said.
"Shipping, particularly seafarers, cannot be collateral victims in a larger political and military crisis -- they must be safe and secure."
