Of the 97 container ships at sea at the time of Hanjin’s collapse, 94 have now unloaded their cargo, representing 95% of the total, reported Lloyd’s List.
With just three ships remaining to be unloaded, representing just 18,000TEUs of the 396,000TEU which were contracted at the time of Hanjin filing for receivership, the waiting is almost over for those companies whose cargo has been stuck in legal limbo while the Seoul court tasked with winding down the shipping line decides their fate.
The confirmation comes from an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, who also told Lloyd's List that there are still a total of 771 crew on board 45 Hanjin vessels, despite many having already been unloaded. The wait for those aboard the 13 bulk carreirs and 32 container ships has yet to be resolved.
The news comes after Total Terminals and the Port of Long Beach agreed to alleviate the congestion left behind by Hanjin’s empty containers, by removing 4,300 TEUs to Asia.
This latest chapter in the ongoing story of Hanjin’s demise could finally see container lines and ports return to ‘business as usual’, with Xeneta predicting the end of the ‘Hanjin Effect’.
