MSC corruption in Odessa port

MSC, the world leader in container shipping, had planned its first port call to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. However, this plan was disrupted by MSC corruption in Odessa port, which led to significant delays. According to the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine (AMEU), groundless cargo inspections and customs clearance delays caused the cancellation of the call. The blocked cargos have resulted in additional costs of up to 2-3 thousand dollars per shipment.

AMEU has urged the authorities to intervene and streamline the processes, as the refusal of MSC to enter the port could disrupt regular container services and harm the country's logistics infrastructure. The collaboration was intended to improve feeder connectivity between Odessa and Tekirdag, a key Turkish port, supporting the development of Ukrainian logistics. Without urgent action from the customs authorities, these beneficial prospects are now at risk.