VOIDED sailings have led to two terminals at the Port of Miami to schedule one- and two-day suspensions of operations owing to low import volumes
VOIDED sailings have led to two terminals at the Port of Miami to schedule one- and two-day suspensions of operations owing to low import volumes. As a result, the South Florida Container Terminal (SFCT) at the port was closed.
'We have only had one blanked sailing and the closure is only due to low import volume in the terminal,' terminal director Mark Baker said in an email, reported American Shipper.
Port of Miami Terminal Operating Co (POMTOC) was closed for two days 'due to extremely low import volumes caused by blanked vessel sailings.'
Seaboard Marine Terminals said its cargo terminal at the Port of Miami and the Jacintoport Terminal in Houston remain open and are functioning normally.
'PortMiami has three cargo terminals with Seaboard Marine exclusively operating an 87-acre facility. Although neighbouring cargo terminals have announced partial closures, the Seaboard facility at PortMiami is fully operational and open,' Seaboard Marine said in a coronavirus preparation update on its website.
'Likewise, the Port of Houston has several different cargo terminals. Although two of the major facilities in Houston are closed, the 60-acre Jacintoport Terminal that is operated by Seaboard Marine is also fully operational and open. Both our Houston and Miami cargo terminals are open and staffed to handle all cargo needs.'
The Port of Houston announced last week that it was closing the Bayport and Barbours Cut terminals after an employee who works at both sites tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to SeaIntelligence Consulting CEO Lars Jensen, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on container shipping lines could total 17 million TEU.
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