House Transport Committee summons Transportation Minister over withdrawal of maritime alliance from East Port Said port

House to hold hearing on shipping line pullout from East Port Said Port: The House Transportation Committee summoned Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat to discuss next Sunday a move by five major shipping lines to transfer activities to a Greek port rather than continue to serve East Port Said port, according to Al Borsa. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Hapag-Loyd, Yang Ming Marine Transport, and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki shipping lines have all reportedly pulled out of East Port Said. The committee will question Arafat about the ministry’s decision to hike mooring fees at the port, which reportedly caused the shipping lines to withdraw, committee head Wahid Karkar said. The lines’ withdrawal will result in a 20-25% drop in the total volumes of shipping containers through the facility, according to Karkar. Suez Canal Economic Zone chief Ahmed Darwish is reviewing the fee hikes and their repercussions with Arafat, and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail may intervene to reverse the decision, Ahram Gate reports, citing unnamed official sources.