File photo.
Workers began unloading cargo from a Hanjin container ship docked at the Port of Long Beach (POLB) on Sunday, following a protection order from a US Judge to prevent creditors from attempting to seize assets from the bankrupt shipping company.
The South Korean shipping giant, Hanjin Shipping Co., announced early this month its decision to file for bankruptcy protection, leaving three of its ships containing approximately 10,000 containers worth of cargo, previously scheduled to dock at the Long Beach and Los Angeles port complex, anchored off the coast.
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The Hanjin Greece, a 1,145-foot-long ship containing plastic goods, electronics and furniture, left the city of Busan in South Korea on August 21, but was blocked from entering or leaving the port since the bankruptcy filing on August 31 in South Korea and on September 2 in the US, according to reports.
Since the unloading of the Hanjin Greece—reported Sunday—two other carriers, the Hanjin Montevideo and Hanjin Boston, were reported still waiting to dock offshore. The three ships are among dozens of stranded carriers around the world blocked over unpaid fuel bills and workers.
Several ships were seized by creditors because Hanjin owed about $750,000 to fuel providers, according to reports. Hanjin also owes the Marine Exchange of Southern California $20,000 in vessel traffic fees, while the Montevideo was ordered to be held in Long Beach after World Fuel Services sued for more than $488,750 in unpaid fuel bills, according to the Long Beach Post article published Thursday.
City News Service contributed to this report.