Sudan situation update

24 May 2023 - Update 08

As the conflict in Sudan persists into its sixth week, we remain committed to putting you, our valued customer at the forefront. We prioritize your needs to understand the urgency of ensuring business continuity, especially in times of crisis.

Your satisfaction is of utmost importance to us, and we want to make sure that you have all the necessary information and assistance when placing new orders. If you require any support or have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us via

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +249 991 116 222 and +249 129 668 686

23 May 2023 - Update 07

As the conflict in Sudan takes its fifth week, we continue to provide you with relevant updates on the current situation to support you make informed decisions pertaining to your supply chain.

Firstly, we are pleased to inform you that the operations at Port Sudan are proceeding almost normally. We currently have two vessels, Lobivia voyage 2306 and Saturn voyage 311S, docked at the port. Additionally, we expect the arrival of a third vessel, Maersk Patras voyage 320S, this weekend on Saturday, 20th May 2023. However, we understand that the customs system continues to be inconsistent, resulting to slower manual releases. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

We also want to address a specific concern regarding customers who are unable to access their Original Bill of Ladings. We understand that factors such as locked offices in Khartoum or limited courier services due to closed airports have made it difficult for our customers to obtain these documents. We want to reiterate our commitment to supporting you navigate this period, and our Sudan team is readily available to assist you in finding a suitable solution. We encourage you to engage our customer service team if you find yourself in this situation via the channels below.

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +249 991 116 222 and +249 129 668 686

13 May 2023 - Update 06

The ongoing political conflict that erupted in Sudan last month has caused significant disruption and uncertainty for our valued customers. At Maersk, we continue monitoring the situation closely and have developed a relief package to help alleviate the impact on your supply chain.

Flex Hub Lite

• Depending on the actual transport plan per shipment and where the cargo is at time of request on maersk.com, Flex Hub Lite could give your dry cargo instant access to up to 14 or 28 days hold in the Hub.
• At the end of the selected hold cargo will be planned on the first available vessel to the final destination (the customer can decide to leave earlier depending on vessel availability)
• Flex Hub Lite is feasible for order from container loading at first loading port to 72 hours prior to estimated arrival time to hub port.
• Acceptance is subject to feasibility and terminal space availability at time of request.

Free Change of Destination (COD)

• No Change of Destination (COD) service fee for containers on water to Sudan.
• No Change of Destination (COD) service fee Containers gated-in full at first loading port bound for Sudan ports.
• For import shipments into all Sudan from 4th May 2023 until further notice.
• Customers still subject to the expense of re-stowage and extra shifting cost, also ocean freight difference of the new destination.
• COD is feasible to order from full container gate-in to first loading port to 3 or 5 days prior to estimated arrival time to transport/final discharge port.
• Acceptance of COD request is subject to capacity of the new destination and operational feasibility

Interim stop of Export Demurrage and Detention (DnD) Clock

• Applicable to Export containers at Terminals in Sudan.
• For export containers at port and/or at customers premises from 15th April 2023 until 15 June 2023.
• The scope is only for cargo bound to port(s) into Sudan where Maersk is responsible for detention.
• The relief does not include port/terminal storage and electricity paid to port/terminal directly by customers, if any.
• The relief does not cover depots, standard Det still to apply, if any.
• We only freeze the export Det clock between 15th April 2023 until 15June 2023.

Interim stop of Import Demurrage and Detention (DnD)Clock

• Import containers at Terminals in Sudan.
• For import containers arrived in Sudan for pickup and still at the port from 15th April 2023 until 15th June 2023.
• The scope is only for cargo bound to port(s) into Sudan where Maersk is responsible for detention.
• The relief does not include port/terminal storage and electricity paid to port/terminal directly by customers, if any.
• The relief does not cover depots, standard Det still to apply, if any.
• We only freeze the import Det clock between 15th April 2023 until 15 June 2023.

We hope that the above measures will provide some financial relief and flexibility as you navigate the challenges arising from the developing situation in Sudan.

At Maersk, we value our customers and are dedicated to providing the highest level of service possible. We are conscious that the political conflict in Sudan is a challenging situation, and we want you to know that we are with you all the way. Please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions or wish to discuss our contingencies in greater detail via

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +249 991 116 222 and +249 129 668 686

05 May 2023 - Update 05

As the political conflict in Sudan continues, we aim is to ensure that you have the necessary information to better plan your supply chain. In line with this, we would like to provide an update on the status of the customs and banking system in country.

As communicated yesterday, the customs system is still down due to the main server at the head office in Khartoum going offline, which has affected other servers across the country. We have been informed by the Sudan customs team that they are working round the clock to obtain another server for Port Sudan, with a target of having the system up by Sunday, 7th May 2023.

In addition, the banking system from the Central Bank of Sudan is also down, impacting several other banks and preventing customers from making payments for releases. We understand that this is causing significant challenges for you and your business, and we want to assure you that we tirelessly engaging the teams on the ground and actively seeking a solution. We will update you as soon as we have any new developments on the matter.

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging period for Sudan. We know that the situation is causing disruptions and uncertainty, and we are committed to keeping you informed and supporting you in the best way we can.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your local Customer Experience representative via the channels provided below.

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +249 991 116 222 and +249 129 668 686

03 May 2023 - Update 04

The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to cause significant disruption to the daily lives of its citizens as well as the business operations in the country.

We had previously communicated that we have stopped taking bookings into Sudan for all shipments until further notice (dependent on the containers that we expect to release in the coming weeks). However, we still expect to deliver cargo that is already booked or enroute into the country.

The port is now open after the Eid holiday however, we would like to inform you that Sudan Customs Systems is down and as such is impacting the movement of containers into and out of the Port. The expected time of resolution has been indicated as 48-72hours and we shall keep you update you as soon as we know more.

We thank you for your patience and understanding. Rest assured we will do everything we can to minimise the impact on your business.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions via the channels below.

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +254 800 721 125

27 April 2023 - Update 03

The ongoing conflict that erupted in Sudan on April 15, continues to have significant impact on logistics. Although vessel operations inside the Port are ongoing, the progress is slow as one of the cranes at the port is not working.

We had previously communicated that we have stopped taking new bookings until the situation improves but with the current developments, we are now stopping booking acceptance into Sudan for all shipments until further notice. We do expect to deliver cargo that is already booked or enroute into the country.

Our teams are paying close attention to the situation, and we will have a better overview of next steps based on the volumes that are released from the port after the Eid holiday this weekend.

We thank you for your patience and understanding. Rest assured we will do everything we can to minimise the impact on your business.

Please don’t hesitate to contact your local Customer Experience representative if you have any questions via the channels below.

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +254 800 721 125

25 April 2023 - Update 02

The clashes that erupted in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has had a significant impact on logistics operations in the country. Our teams are working around the clock to develop solutions that ensure the safety of our people, operations, and our customers’ supply chains.

These current circumstances mean that we have stopped taking new bookings for now until the situation improves. If this affects you, then please expect an update from our customer experience team on the bookings that are currently on vessels.

We will keep monitoring the situation with an ambition to stabilize operations as quickly as we can. Please do not hesitate to contact our Maersk Customer Experience teams to discuss options and solutions for your cargo via the channels below.

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +254 800 721 125

19 April 2023 - Update 01

In light of the situation in Sudan after clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), we regret to inform you that, our offices in Khartoum and Port Sudan will be closed until further notice.

Firstly, the safety and wellbeing of our employees’ is of paramount importance, and we have initiated a crisis response plan, to provide them with the necessary support. All our employees have been instructed to shelter in place from their residences and we are pleased to report that they remain safe together with their families.

We understand that the present situation has disrupted your business operations, and we are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds to gain better insights on how to resume operations safely.

We are working on plan to offer you the tools and information that will give you the best solutions to manage your supply chain.

Our teams are here to serve you, so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss any concerns you may have through;

• Email
• Export queries - SD.Export@maersk.com
• Import queries - SD.Import@maersk.com
• Telephone +254 800 721 125