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Shipping Incident bulletin 6th March 2020
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This week’s bulletin contains updates about: USA, Brazil, Japan, La Reunion, Macao, Mongolia, Italy, Netherlands, Korea.
Netherlands
Start date: 26th February
End date:Â Ongoing
Delays to operations likely due to Covid-19: PostNL announced on February 26 that delays to postal operations and transit time for volumes to Hong Kong are likely due to the outbreak of Covid-19, and the related reduction in flights to and from the region. The operator indicated that all volumes are still being sent out; however it is currently obliged to use alternative routes. A delay of 1-3 days is expected.
United States
Start date: 3rd March
End date: Ongoing
Tornado impacts cargo services: due to a tornado passing through the center of the Greater Nashville Area in Tennessee on March 3, pickup and delivery services are experiencing disruptions. Service disruptions may be particularly notable in North Nashville, East Nashville, and Mount Juliet.
Brazil
Start date: 3rd March
Expected end date: 4th March
Union organizes postal strike for March 3: the Central Sindical e Popular (CSP) is organizing a strike at Correios for March 3. The primary grievance is around healthcare costs. Those conducting business with Correios across Brazil should anticipate the possibility of a strike and plan accordingly.
Japan
Start date: 5th March
End date: Ongoing
Flight cancellations were reported at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, and Tokachi-Obihiro Airport due to heavy snowfall. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued heavy snow warnings for parts of Hokkaido in the coming days, likely leading to further transport disruptions.
La Réunion
Start date: 5th March
Expected end date: 6th March
Several unions (CGTR FAPT, CFDT S3C, UNSA-POSTES REUNION, SUD PTT REUNION) at La Poste in the French Department of La Réunion called on all postal workers to go on an indefinite strike from March 5. The unions are demanding higher wages and better working conditions.
Macao – back to normal
Start date: 7th February
End date: 2nd March
The designated operator of Macao, China, Macau Post, asks us to inform other Union member countries and their designated operators that, in order to minimize disruption and maintain quality of service, home delivery of EMS items resumed on 27 February 2020.
In line with the latest instructions from the Macao Government, Macau Post has resumed full services with effect from 2 March 2020.
However, service quality in all categories of postal services is still affected by the following:
1. The closure of the Hong Kong Macao Ferry Terminal since 4 February 2020; and
2. Delays and cancellation of inbound and outbound flights to and from Macao and Hong Kong, China.
The above issues are impacting on the transport time between the offices of origin and destination, meaning that normal delivery performance cannot be achieved.
Mongolia
Start date: 14th February
End date: 28th February
Mongol Post informs that, owing to the suspension of all flights to/from (Korea (Rep.) and Japan, it has opened a new route to those countries via Istanbul (Turkey) and recommenced dispatching to them on 28 February 2020.
Services for all outbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) destined for Korea and Japan are now restored and Mongol Post is also able to receive inbound mail (letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items) from those countries via Istanbul.
Mongol Post is continuing to receive and dispatch mail from and to other countries and processing it at its International Mail Processing Centre MNULNA, following sanitary treatment.
Italy
Start date: 24th February
End date:Â Ongoing
Poste Italiane informs that the precautionary closure applied to a number of municipalities has been partially lifted. The situation has returned to normal in the municipalities that have been crossed out on the list below, with effect from 2 March 2020, and Poste Italiane is committed to clearing the backlog of deliveries within the next few weeks. The closure continues to apply in the municipalities, with corresponding postcode areas, that remain on the list below.
Please be aware that this closure will remain in place until any other information is provided by the relevant health and safety authorities.
Please also be informed that, as these provisions so far affect only a limited area, Poste Italiane will continue to store cross-border items addressed to the affected municipalities, until such time as the closure is lifted.
BERTONICO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26821
CASTIGLIONE D’ADDA
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26823
TERRANOVA DEI PASSERINI
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26827
CASALPUSTERLENGO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26841
CASTELGERUNDO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26844
CODOGNO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26845
MALEO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26847
SAN FIORANO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26848
FOMBIO
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26861
SOMAGLIA
CASALPUSTERLENGO
26867
VO’
LOZZO ATESTINO
35030
The collection/acceptance and delivery of letter-post, parcel-post and EMS items from/to the locations that remain on the list above (i.e. that are not crossed out) are still suspended.
In addition to the above-listed “off-limits red zonesâ€Â, delivery may also be affected in neighbouring areas as a result of the precautionary temporary closure, by local order or individual initiative, of public institutions (schools, universities, nurseries, theatres, etc.), or businesses open to the public (restaurants, cafés, etc.).
Technical problems
Korea
Start date: 2nd March
End date:Â Ongoing
The designated operator of Korea (Rep.), Korea Post, informs that it launched a new operating system on Monday, 2 March 2020.
As a result, there is some temporary disruption to the sending of EDI messages. Korea Post is making every effort to resolve this problem as quickly as possible.