Privately held French container shipping group CMA CGM has resumed all container commercial services to Libya, a spokesperson for the company told Dow Jones Newswires Wednesday, Foxbusiness reports.
"All ports in Libya are now open, safe and operational as far as container services are concerned," the spokesperson said.
Marseilles, France-based CMA CGM, one of the world's largest shipping companies by volume, said full service coverage to Tripoli, Misrata, El Khoms and Benghazi was now fully in place.
Import routes are now opening up after months of civil war caused huge upheaval, in particular around Libya's eastern port of Benghazi, for much of the time the war's focal point. United Nations agencies, including the World Food Program, distributed hundreds of thousands of tons of food to the country to stave off a humanitarian crisis.
The North African country depends heavily on grain imports, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization said. There are still concerns over the arrival of commercial food imports even though some wheat has been purchased using unfrozen funds, the FAO said on its website.
And despite fully operational container ports in Libya, shipping brokers said the country's grain purchases appeared to be "virtually non-existent."
"To be honest, we have heard very little news concerning Libyan purchases," a shipping broker said. "On the documentation side, I have not seen any containers destined for Libya."
A second broker said many market particpants were still wary of trade relations with Libya and were unsure who was in charge of buying grain for Libya.
In September, traders said the Russian unit of commodities giant Glencore International PLC (GLCNF) chartered two shipments of 25,000 metric tons of wheat to Libya from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk. A ship broker said a vessel named the Sea Dream Bulker arrived at Benghazi port after traveling via Turkey.
Andree Dufois, managing editor of grains analyst Strategie Grains, said she expects the country's wheat imports to remain broadly in line with the 1.3 million tons imported in the 2010-2011 crop year, although any disruption to the country's milling sector could switch demand to wheat flour instead of grain.
Traders say much of this is likely to come from Russia, which has become an increasingly important supplier to Libya and other north African countries in recent years.
"All ports in Libya are now open, safe and operational as far as container services are concerned," the spokesperson said.
Marseilles, France-based CMA CGM, one of the world's largest shipping companies by volume, said full service coverage to Tripoli, Misrata, El Khoms and Benghazi was now fully in place.
Import routes are now opening up after months of civil war caused huge upheaval, in particular around Libya's eastern port of Benghazi, for much of the time the war's focal point. United Nations agencies, including the World Food Program, distributed hundreds of thousands of tons of food to the country to stave off a humanitarian crisis.
The North African country depends heavily on grain imports, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization said. There are still concerns over the arrival of commercial food imports even though some wheat has been purchased using unfrozen funds, the FAO said on its website.
And despite fully operational container ports in Libya, shipping brokers said the country's grain purchases appeared to be "virtually non-existent."
"To be honest, we have heard very little news concerning Libyan purchases," a shipping broker said. "On the documentation side, I have not seen any containers destined for Libya."
A second broker said many market particpants were still wary of trade relations with Libya and were unsure who was in charge of buying grain for Libya.
In September, traders said the Russian unit of commodities giant Glencore International PLC (GLCNF) chartered two shipments of 25,000 metric tons of wheat to Libya from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk. A ship broker said a vessel named the Sea Dream Bulker arrived at Benghazi port after traveling via Turkey.
Andree Dufois, managing editor of grains analyst Strategie Grains, said she expects the country's wheat imports to remain broadly in line with the 1.3 million tons imported in the 2010-2011 crop year, although any disruption to the country's milling sector could switch demand to wheat flour instead of grain.
Traders say much of this is likely to come from Russia, which has become an increasingly important supplier to Libya and other north African countries in recent years.