Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Keeping Shippers on Their Toes

African shipping may be hit hard by the Ebola outbreak as shipping agents start to refuse to call at West African ports for security reasons or ask for higher rates to do so.

Freight rates for clean tankers heading from the UK continent to the West Africa could see an increase due to the Ebola crisis which was forcing shipowners to insert clauses into charter parties to avoid the risk of their vessel being quarantined, shipping sources told Platts.

Fear looms that international shipping companies may boycott African ports completely as shipping lines start to suspended shore leave and crew change in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leon and Guinea.

The international community is keeping a close eye on the outbreak, since further spread would cause serious operational consequences in terms of delays and disruptions.

Even though, regular operations have not yet been interrupted, P&I Clubs warned their members of the  risks and necessity of taking appropriate precautions. In particular, shippers have also been warned to keep a vigilant watch to prevent stowaways gaining access on board and conduct searches prior to departing West African ports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) projects the number of people infected will reach 20,000 in the next six to nine months, and is appealing to the international community for support totaling 490 million dollars (¥50 billion) to develop local clinics to curb the spread of infection.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.  announced today its intention to provide a monetary donation of US$10,000 to help the Republic of Liberia to cope with the rapid spread of the Ebola virus.

MOL has been building relationship with Liberia where MOL Group has registered its ships over the years. MOL has arranged for Liberian ship registry company, LISCR Japan and LISCR LLC, to allocate the donation towards much needed materials and medical equipment, such as surgical gloves, face masks, soap, chlorine and antibiotics.

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian Registry said, “We appreciate that our client, one of the world’s most powerful shipping companies, is donating resources to the critical situation in Liberia. LISCR will coordinate and airlift the medical supplies from the United States to Monrovia, and ensure that all materials are physically received and transferred to hospitals as directed by the Ministry of Health.”