Aliança Navegação Suspends Shipping Services to Manaus Due to Low River Levels

Aliança Navegação e Logística Ltda has ceased its services to the Amazonas state capital. “The depth of the Amazon River, at several critical passage points, has reached a level that makes it impossible to continue maritime operations for ALCT 1 and ALCT 3 services in Manaus,” the company stated on its website.

“Under such circumstances, we have no option but to declare force majeure, and the cargoes on board the vessels Sebastião Caboto/338N (SECAB) and Fernão de Magalhães/339N (FERMA) bound for Manaus will have to be unloaded in Vila do Conde (October 14) and Pecém (October 12), respectively. We can’t tell when these cargoes will be re-embarked; we must await the resumption of normal services. The vessel Log-in Polaris/100N (LIPOL) will also not dock in Manaus, and its contingency plan will be communicated as soon as possible,” Aliança reported.

According to the company, there is no projection of when shipments from Manaus will recommence, as there is a road-river-ship transport alternative available.

In response to the situation, Aliança has implemented the following procedures:

• All booking requests on all vessels to/from Manaus will be suspended.
• Reservations to and from Manaus without collected cargo and without container pickup will be canceled.
• Confirmed reservations destined for Manaus, with containers already deposited, will be shipped to Pecém and will await service resumption for subsequent re-embarkation to the destination. If necessary, containers can be picked up at the point of origin.
• Confirmed reservations with origins in Manaus, with containers already deposited at the port, will remain at the port terminal awaiting service resumption or can be picked up by shippers if necessary.
• Confirmed reservations with containers not yet deposited can choose to ship with transshipment in Pecém, with no connection forecast to the destination, or have their containers returned.
• Operational expenses such as storage in the port area, container removal, and unloading, among others, will be borne by the Freight Contractor.

“To ensure that the flow of goods between Amazonas and the rest of Brazil is not completely interrupted, there is an alternative transportation method using the road-river-ship combination between Vila do Conde and Manaus, except for dangerous and refrigerated cargoes,” Aliança informs in its October 10 announcement.

“This alternative combines loading on Aliança vessels to Vila do Conde (Pará), where the cargo will be transferred to a barge to Manaus for later delivery in our trucks. For shipments originating in Manaus, the process will be the opposite,” the company adds.

For cargoes on the Sebastião Caboto/338N (SECAB) vessel, the solution is available immediately, while for other vessels, it will be available from November 1. “If you are interested, please contact your commercial representatives to negotiate new rates and a new operational model,” the company states.

The maritime route ALCT 1 is weekly and connects the North and Southeast of Brazil, with Manaus and Pecém (Ceará) serving as links between the Industrial Pole and other states. The transit time between the two ports is usually 5 days.

The maritime route ALCT 3 is biweekly and travels from the Northeast to the North with a ship that has a barge connection to the port of Vila do Conde (Pará).

Aliança has been monitoring river levels in the state during periods of low water since 2016 and noted abnormal levels this year.

Aliança expects to reinstate calls at the port of Manaus, with restricted capacity, only from week 46, which runs from November 13 to 19, 2023. “Thus, it is logical to say that the service interruption will affect the Industrial Pole of Manaus,” warns Aliança.

Source: Amazonas Atual

To read the original publication, see: https://amazonasatual.com.br/seca-gigante-da-cabotagem-suspende-envio-de-conteineres-para-manaus/

Sharing is caring!