Operational Impact of Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

March 02nd 2023 - Update 8

A.P. Moller – Maersk teams are continuing to keep a close eye on developments at the Port of Iskenderun, including working closely with port officials to understand the extent of the terminal damage and which customer cargo may be affected.

At this time, the port remains closed until further notice, but we have been frequently liaising with terminal authorities for updates on accessibility to understand how soon container inspections can be initiated. We have now been informed that inspections will commence shortly and be conducted in scheduled batches.

As soon as the schedule has been finalised and received from the Port of Iskenderun – documenting your inspection date and time and contact details of our surveyors – we will communicate it with you. The cargo owner’s authorised personnel and insurance representatives will be required to be at the port when the inspection takes place.

When you receive details, please kindly inform your representatives and confirm your attendance with our surveyor.

Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout such a challenging situation. Rest assured, we are doing all in our power and control to resolve this matter as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.

February 20th 2023 - Update 7

Following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Port of Iskenderun remains inaccessible and not operational until further notice. This is both in the interest of safety due to significant terminal damage and indeed the focus of the terminal and its personnel being firmly on humanitarian aid efforts at this time.

As such, it is still not yet known when a full inspection will take place to understand the extent of the damage and affected containers. We are working closely with Iskenderun officials every day and will keep customers informed of the latest developments as soon as we know more.

Should cargo be damaged as a result of the earthquake and subsequent fire, insurance claims will need to be made. We recommend you reach out to your insurer as soon as possible, if you haven’t done so already, to alert them to the situation.

Plus, the Port of Iskenderun are kindly requesting all parties with authorisation over goods at the terminal (including owner/seller and buyer) to email their details and relevant insurance policies to tespit@limakports.com by February 21st, 2023. This will help the terminal to coordinate the insurance process in the event of a claim.

Thank you, as always, for your cooperation and patience. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Maersk representative.

February 20th 2023 - Update 6

The earthquake that sadly hit Turkey and Syria on Monday 6th February 2023 has had a significant impact on logistics operations in the region. A.P. Moller – Maersk teams have been keeping a close eye on the situation and developing relief packages for affected customers in the hopes of minimising any impact on supply chains.

We have noted potential issues with documentation as a result of the earthquake and are now offering the following to assist with Bill of Lading transactions.

• Given the COD option for containers on water destined for the Port of Iskenderun, original Bill of Ladings must be re-issued according to new POD. In such situations, customers should surrender old Bill of Ladings to the nearest Maersk offices OR to our vendor Ilkay Denizcilik offices. Our teams will provide immediate support to issue a new Bill of Lading with the new POD.
• In cases where it is impossible to endorse the original Bill of Lading OR it’s impossible to find the original Bill of Lading due to difficulties in the region affected by the earthquake, please reach out to your local CX representative through “tr.export@maersk.com / tr.import@maersk.com”, and our teams will work to grant ease of business for the solution as soon as possible.

We will continue to listen to our customer needs and make the necessary adjustments to our relief packages as this situation goes on.

Our teams are here to serve you and help you through this time, so should you wish to discuss anything else, you can reach us via the following contact details:

Hot Line:

0216 666 51 48

Export / Import Customer Service: 0850 288 88 80

tr.import@maersk.com
tr.export@maersk.com

February 13th 2023 - Update 5

Following the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice due to significant damage at the terminal. We previously communicated that a container fire had broken out at the port, but we are pleased to report that it is now under the control of local authorities.

It is not yet known when a full inspection will take place to understand the extent of the damage and affected containers, but we will keep you updated as soon as we know more.

We are continuing to do all in our power and control to minimise the impact on customers and keep supply chains moving as efficiently as possible.

As the situation is changing frequently, Maersk has adapted the terms of its relief packages in line with customer needs. Please see below for updated details, including for export cargo from Iskenderun:

Free Change of Destination (COD)

• No Change of Destination (COD) service fee for containers on the water destined for the Port of Iskenderun, or containers gated-in full at the first loading port bound for Iskenderun to any other port in Turkey (TRMER, TRIZM, TRKOR, TRAMB).
• This includes re-stowage, operational and admin fees. COD in this instance will be initiated by Maersk.
• COD admin fees waived to destinations away from Turkey. Customers will, however, be liable for re-stowage and extra shifting costs, plus the ocean freight difference of the new destination. COD in this instance will be initiated by the customer moving away from Turkey.
• Acceptance of COD requests are subject to capacity at the new destination and operational feasibility.

Booking amendments/cancellations

• No cancellation fees on active bookings to and from Iskenderun or Mersin on SPOT.
• Free of charge POL amendment to any other Turkish port for bookings from Iskenderun.
• Free of charge vessel postponements on bookings from Mersin.
• We shall waive penalty fees for shipments under Partnership Contract Product (block space, flexible), exported from Iskenderun or Mersin.

Demurrage and Detention (D&D)

• Interim stop of the Import Combined D&D* and Export Detention* and Demurrage* clock for containers in Iskenderun from February 6th, 2023 until February 28th, 2023, where the D&D responsibility lies with Maersk.
• Interim stop of the Export Detention* clock for containers in Mersin from February 6th, 2023 until February 20th, 2023.
• Interim stop of the Import Combined D&D* clock for containers in Syria from February 6th, 2023 until February 28th, 2023, where the D&D responsibility lies with Maersk.
• For containers destined for the Port of Iskenderun, when COD will be performed to any other Turkish port: if the customer has special free time at the new destination, the same will be applied. If the customer has no special free time at new destination, 10 days free time will be applied as tariff.

Our teams are here to serve you and help you through this time, so please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions or wish to discuss our contingencies in greater detail.

You can reach us on email for export queries at tr.export@maersk.com and import queries at tr.import@maersk.com.

February 8th 2023 - Update 4

A.P. Moller – Maersk is continuing to keep a close eye on the developing situation in Turkey and Syria, following the recent earthquake that caused significant damage to logistics infrastructure in the region.

As the Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, our teams have been hard at work creating contingency plans for affected customers with cargo bound for the Port – hoping to minimise the impact of the circumstances on your supply chain.

This means we will unfortunately not be able to deliver cargo currently on the water bound for the Port of Iskenderun as its intended final destination. We will instead be holding containers in designated nearby ports and hubs for three weeks from today (Wednesday 8 February) at no extra cost while we plan next steps and final deliveries.

If you have cargo currently underway for the Port of Iskenderun, or containers gated-in full at the first loading port bound for Iskenderun, we can also trigger a Change of Destination (COD) arrangement to any other port in Turkey (TRMER, TRIZM, TRKOR, TRAMB) free of charge. This includes re-stowage, operational and admin fees. COD in this instance will be initiated by Maersk.

Should you wish to divert cargo to a port away from Turkey, COD admin fees will also be waived. However, customers will be liable for re-stowage and extra shifting costs, plus the ocean freight difference of the new destination. COD in this instance will be initiated by the customer moving away from Turkey.

If the final delivery decision will take longer than the assigned three-week window, then further options will need to be discussed. Please reach out to your customer service agent for more information and to better understand the contingencies.

Acceptance of COD is subject to operational feasibility and capacity constraints. Please head to our dedicated Turkey/Syria earthquake advisory page for full COD terms and further relief package details.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause your business but thank you for your trust and understanding during a very challenging time.

Rest assured we will continue to do everything in our power and control to find solutions for our customers’ supply chains and keep them moving as efficiently as possible.

Our teams are here to serve you and help you through this time, so please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. You can reach us on email for export queries at tr.export@maersk.com and import queries at tr.import@maersk.com.

February 7th 2023 - Update 3

A.P. Moller – Maersk’s logistics operations and services continue to be impacted by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which hit the region on Monday 6 February 2023 and provoked a number of aftershocks.

The Port of Iskenderun remains closed until further notice, as teams look to repair the significant damage caused by the disaster and subsequent fire. We are currently unable to say exactly how long operations will be stopped at the port, but we will keep customers informed of the latest developments as soon as possible.

At this time, we are not accepting any new bookings to and from Iskenderun. Our teams are hard at work developing contingency plans involving nearby hubs and additional feeder vessels, with the aim of minimising the overall impact on customers and their supply chains.

If you already have a booking in place or on the water, your Maersk representative will be in touch to discuss relief packages that we’ve put into action and further options for your cargo. The full terms of our measures to ease pressure on your logistics operations are outlined below:

Free Change of Destination (COD)

• Free COD for containers on the water destined for the Port of Iskenderun, or containers gated-in full at the first loading port bound for Iskenderun to any other port in Turkey (TRMER, TRIZM, TRKOR, TRAMB) This includes re-stowage, operational and admin fees. COD in this instance will be initiated by Maersk.
• COD admin fees waived to destinations away from Turkey. Customers will, however, be liable for re-stowage and extra shifting costs, plus the ocean freight difference of the new destination. COD in this instance will be initiated by the customer moving away from Turkey.
• Acceptance of COD requests are subject to capacity at the new destination and operational feasibility.

Booking amendments/cancellations

• No amendment / cancellation fees on active bookings to and from Iskenderun or Mersin on SPOT.
• We shall waive penalty fees for shipments under Partnership Contract Product (block space, flexible), exported from Iskenderun or Mersin.

Demurrage and Detention (D&D)

• Interim stop of the Import Combined D&D* and Export Detention* and Demurrage* clock for containers in Iskenderun from February 6th, 2023 until February 20th, 2023, where the D&D responsibility lies with Maersk.

Rest assured, during these challenging circumstances, we will do everything in our power and control to find solutions for our customers’ supply chains to keep them moving as efficiently as possible. We thank you for your patience, trust and understanding throughout.

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have set up a dedicated emergency hotline for customers on (+90) 0 216 666 51 48. Please also continue to visit our advisory page for the latest updates.

*Export Demurrage: Free time period and charges for utilisation of equipment inside of terminals or depots (invoiced under Demurrage). Demurrage starts with gate-in full date (included) and ends with load on board date (included). Click here to find out more about export D&D calculation in Turkey.

*Export Detention: Free time period and charges for utilisation of equipment outside of terminals or depots (invoiced under Detention). Detention starts with empty pick-up date (included) and ends with gate-in full date (included). Click here to find out more about export D&D calculation in Turkey.

*Import Combined Demurrage & Detention: Free time period and charges for utilisation of equipment inside and outside of terminals or depots (invoiced under Detention). Click here to find out more about import combined D&D calculation in Turkey.

February 7th 2023 - Update 2

As a result of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday 6 February 2023, the Port of Iskenderun obtained significant damage and a subsequent fire broke out amongst containers at the terminal in the evening.

A.P. Moller – Maersk teams have been working to assess the situation and potential loss of cargo, but at this time the fire is yet to be controlled fully by local authorities on the ground.

It’s not yet known how long recovery efforts will take and when the port can undergo a full inspection of the damage, but we will keep you informed as soon as we hear the latest developments.

Rest assured we are doing all in our power and control, including working closely with the terminal, to accelerate a resolution to the situation. Maersk is committed to supporting your logistics operations and we will outline all information and next steps as a result of the fire in due course.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We have set up a dedicated emergency hotline for customers on (+90) 0 216 666 51 48.

February 6th 2023 - Update 1

In light of the earthquake that sadly hit Turkey and Syria on the morning of Monday 6 February 2023, A.P. Moller – Maersk would like to inform customers of the subsequent impact on our operations and services.

Such was the magnitude of the earthquake that there has been significant damage to logistics and transport infrastructure around the Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras, epicentre, including at the Port of Iskenderun.

The port has unfortunately been subject to severe structural damage, leading to a complete stop of all operations until further notice. Roads have also been heavily affected, and at this time vendors are not moving any trucks in and around the area.

Given the situation at Iskenderun, we will need to perform a change of destination for all bookings bound for the port or already on the water. We are currently planning to divert containers to nearby hubs within operational feasibility or hold at transhipment ports - including Port of Mersin and Port Said. If your cargo is impacted by our contingency measures, we will reach out to you directly to discuss options as soon as possible.

All booking cancellations, amendments and changes of destination will be free of charge* for Iskenderun and Mersin bookings throughout the month of February.

It is not yet clear when the Port of Iskenderun will see a return to normal operations, but we will keep you informed as soon as we know more and continue to update our relief packages in line with customer needs – full details and terms will be communicated when finalised.

We thank you for your patience and understanding. Rest assured we will do everything we can to minimise the impact on our customers and their supply chains.

Maersk would also like to extend its deepest sympathies to those affected by the disaster. Our thoughts are with you during this very difficult time.

Should you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have set up a dedicated emergency hotline for customers on (+90) 0 216 666 51 48.

*terms apply and will be communicated as soon as possible