Cargo imports into Libya have dropped by an estimated 75%, according to ship operators.
Loris Trevisan, chief executive of Italian shipping company Med Cross Lines, told The Loadstar:
“The volumes from Italy have declined some 75% during the last three months, mostly due to closure of banks in Libya.”
This, he said, had resulted in a lack of available funds affecting the ability of Libyan importers to make payments or open letters of credit.
Mehmet Alioglu, of Turkish firm Sana Lines, said that fighting in Tripoli had resulted in serious delays at Tripoli’s port.
“There was no truck or inland transportation,” he explained, adding that this forced the shipping line to cancel its last three port calls.
Libyan maritime and shipping expert Captain Omar Fanoush added:
“The ongoing events, and shortages of electricity and fuel have caused a reduction in labour to less than 30%, so discharging rates have dropped to less than 20%, sometimes stopping altogether.
“At Tripoli port, the truck union has been refusing to transport 80% of cargo to or via locations where heavy clashes have been taking place.”
(Source: The Loadstar)
