In shipping parlance, an “end of voyage” declaration means a vessel terminates its journey at a port other than the originally contracted destination due to unavoidable circumstances such as conflict, safety threats, or operational disruptions.
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TREVOR SNAPP
In shipping parlance, an “end of voyage” declaration means a vessel terminates its journey at a port other than the originally contracted destination due to unavoidable circumstances such as conflict, safety threats, or operational disruptions.
MSC has not disclosed the alternative ports where the cargo will be offloaded. However, industry sources say Colombo in Sri Lanka and Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia are emerging as the most likely options.
There was also speculation that the Vizhinjam International Transshipment Port in Kerala could be considered. However, sources said the port is currently operating at full capacity and has effectively been ruled out as a diversion point.
MSC did not respond to queries sent by businessline.
Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta, a Norway-based ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform, said traditional diversion options closer to the Arabian Gulf are increasingly becoming unsafe. “Khor Fakkan in the UAE was attractive earlier, and then the Port of Salalah in Oman. But following drone strikes, those options are no longer really viable. We simply need to look further away,” Sand told businessline.
While Jeddah in Saudi Arabia would still be relatively close to the original destinations, Sand said the ongoing security risks in the Red Sea make it an unlikely choice.
“Colombo and Tanjung Pelepas are obvious alternatives as ports on the Arabian Peninsula appear to be off limits for now. Tanjung Pelepas is attractive, though it will negatively impact port efficiency as yard density rises and those ‘frustrated cargoes’ will likely remain there for some time,” he added.
J Krishnan, Partner at Chennai-based S Natesa Iyer Logistics LLP, said Colombo could be a natural choice since it lies along the main international shipping lane and offers strong Pan-Asian connectivity.
When asked whether Indian ports could be used to offload the containers, Capt K Ramakrishnan, a master mariner, said this would be difficult under current conditions. “There is no spare capacity, and Indian Customs will not allow such containers unless they are formally declared as transshipment cargo,” he said. Ramakrishnan added that MSC could choose to discharge containers at terminals owned or operated by the line, particularly where adequate storage space is available.
A spokesperson for German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd said the disruption is forcing carriers to identify multiple alternative locations. “Some ports are closed or cannot be reached. Different ports need to be identified to store these containers until they can be transported to their final destinations,” the spokesperson said.
Published on March 5, 2026