Sendai not key transpacific container port

Sendai not key transpacific container port    The massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan last week shouldn't significantly impact transpacific container shipments.
   According to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, only one service connects any ports significantly affected by the disasters to North America, the Grand Alliance's SCX. Ironically, Grand Alliance carriers announced one day before the earthquake that the Sendai call would switch out of the SCX to their relaunched JCX service in mid-May — that call is surely in doubt given the wreckage at Sendai, the nearest large city to the epicenter.
   Most of Japan's largest containers gateways are actually found in the southern half of the country, with Tokyo (the country's busiest) also the northernmost significant container port.
   Sendai, with annual throughput of about 200,000 TEUs, is not one of the country's biggest 10 container ports, but also handles bulk and fuel shipments. Early reports suggest it will be a long time before Sendai and a handful of small ports in the north of the country are anywhere near operational.
   Tokyo and the handful of larger ports in the south of the country — including Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya, and Osaka — are reportedly operational, though some reports suggest some of Tokyo's terminals are being checked for seismic damage. Those five ports handle nearly 60 percent of the country's containers.
   Japan's big three container lines are focused on humanitarian aid to the afflicted region, and have issued little in the way of operational updates. MOL said Sunday only one of its vessels, a chartered bulker, was impacted by the earthquake, while “K” Line said a chartered bulker was washed aground at the small port of Kashima. MOL and NYK Line said they will donate more than $600,000 each to support and rescue victims of the disasters.
   Other lines, like Hapag-Lloyd, said the country's southern ports are open and operational impact should be limited to some vessel delays. APL said in an update Monday that a couple of its sailings to Japanese ports have been delayed, while others have berthed as normal.