BECAUSE of deliberate docker absenteeism at Sweden's big Port of Gothenburg, German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has diverted its Gothenburg Express Service (GTE) to Varberg until further notice, the company announced.
But Loop 7 and its Sweden Denmark Express (SDX) will continue to call at Gothenburg, said the company.
Nonetheless, Hapag-Lloyd advises customers to book as much cargo as possible through Varberg to ease the congestion in Gothenburg, thus reducing the chances of long waiting-times, short-shipments, roll-overs and storage-costs.
Regular calls to Helsingborg and Halmstad were not affected, said the company, while adding additional costs arising from the trouble will not be absorbed by the company.
Maersk Line has already levied a congestion fee (CFO/CFD) of US$60 per TEU and $120 and FEU and for 45-footers on all cargo to and from Gothenburg from March 1 for non-Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) corridors and from March 15 for FMC corridors, until further notice.
Although the dockers union has withdrawn the threat of all-out strikes which were initially announced to take place last week, its go-slows have caused congestion.