Covid-19 restrictions have led coastal feedership operators to halt services for six weeks at congested terminals in southern China and Hong Kong.
As a result, giant container line Ocean Network Express (ONE) said it was suspending cargo acceptances for boxes that need onward shipment to their final destinations.
The shipowner, controlled by NYK Line, K Line and Mitsui OSK Lines, said the feedership stoppage was down to quarantine requirements for crews.
The six-week suspension will run until the Lunar New Year holiday that finishes on 5 February.
"In consideration of this situation, ONE will temporarily suspend the acceptance of the cargo bound for the ports in the South China area that require usage of the domestic feeders to reach the final destination," ONE said.
"Any cargo to South China that can be serviced by an ocean vessel is not affected," the company added.
ONE is working on solutions with customers for any cargo that is already en route and will not arrive prior to the services being suspended.
Situation being monitored
"ONE will continuously monitor the local situation in South China," the company said.
For ports in the Guangxi area, including Beihai, Fangcheng, Qinzhou, the ONE stoppage begins now, while for Pearl River delta terminals and those in Hainan and Guangdong, the service suspension starts on 14 December.
For Fujian ports like Xiamen, Fuzhou, Fuqing and Quanzhou, ONE will not accept cargo arriving after 10 December.
Freight rates and charter durations for feeder containerships were coming under pressure following recent record levels, brokers report.
Clarksons Platou Securities said the sub-3,000-teu segment was the last of the containership segments to surge and see healthy term charter interest, and now it is the first to experience some elements of softness.
"Our container desk assesses six to 12-month charter rates for 2,500-teu vessels at $68,500 per day, down from last week's $70,000-per-day level and the peak in October of $73,000 per day," analysts Frode Morkedal and Omar Nokta said.
