COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCON) has joined several major liner operators in curtailing calls to Myanmar as the recent military coup in the Southeast Asian country continues to cause difficulties in transportation.
[s2If is_user_logged_in()]The Chinese state-owned carrier said that from the end of March, it will suspend its Yangon Express (YGX) service, which loops around Yangpu, Singapore, Yangon and Pasir Gudang.
COSCON explained that although the protests have had minimal impact on Myanmar’s ports, customs clearance and the movement of containers, have been disrupted.
It is the second Myanmar service that COSCON has suspended since the coup occurred on 1 February, sparking daily protests that have seen more than 200 civilians killed in the standoff with the military junta.
On 11 March, COSCON stopped transporting containers between South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Myanmar International Terminals Thilawa (MITT). The shipping service between Yangpu, Port Klang, and the Asia World Port Terminal (AWPT) and Myanmar International Port (MIP) terminals in Yangon was also suspended. However, services between Singapore, MIP and AWPT terminals are available.
On 22 March, Ocean Network Express (ONE) suspended bookings into Myanmar with immediate effect, citing port disruptions and limited availability of road transportation.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
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