Flow of goods: business as usual – despite corona pandemic

The Corona pandemic has had no appreciable effect on the flow of goods from the major paper mills in the Gulf of Bothnia or on our ability to ship them, according to WALLENIUS SOL’s Managing Director Ragnar Johansson.

“Despite the global turbulence linked to the Covid-19 outbreak, WALLENIUS SOL’s operations will continue without major obstacles. Although the volume of certain paper products has declined slightly, they remain in general at a good level. Nor has there been any effect on our ability to meet our customers’ shipping needs so far. 

Goods from the major paper mills in the Gulf of Bothnia are flowing as usual and at the time of writing all ports are still open. No changes have been announced by customers, so in principle it’s business as usual both in terms of goods from the Gulf of Bothnia down to the continent, and vice versa.

Our biggest concern right now is the risk of getting the contagion on board our ships, causing them to be kept in quarantine. Accordingly, in consultation with our crews, we have extended their onboard duty periods to reduce the risk of contagion in conjunction with crew changes.

Office open whenever necessary

Due to the Covid-19 situation, we are currently working from home, but our office in Gothenburg is open whenever necessary. Our priority is to ensure operations and service to our customers while helping to delay the spread of the disease through society as a whole. We have cancelled all business travel until further notice. 

New ships being built in China

On 13 March it was time to begin cutting steel in China as the first true step in the construction process for WALLENIUS SOL’s new ships. This phase was postponed for two weeks because of the pandemic, but we now expect work to continue according to plan.

We are monitoring developments

Because of Covid-19 the immediate future is unclear, but we are naturally monitoring developments closely. Appropriate adjustments will be made as necessary based on prevailing circumstances. We will continue to do our best to meet our customers’ shipping requirements and protect the health of our employees.”

Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director