A large number of international companies with exposure to Russia and Ukraine are attentive to the development of the war and some are already closing their facilities to protect their staff.
Reuters noted that Carlsberg of Denmark suspended production at its three breweries in the country, while Coca-Cola bottler HBC said it had triggered contingency plans that included closing its bottling plant.
Japan Tobacco closed its cigarette plant in Kremenchuck, in central Ukraine, while UPS and FedEx Corp. suspended their services inside and outside the country.
FedEx explained that the decision to suspend the service was to protect the members of its team, as it is a “top priority” and that it will implement contingency plans to minimize the impact.
UPS announced that all of its shipping services to and from Ukraine had been suspended and that e International deliveries to Russia were also temporarily suspended.
Japanese automobile supplier Sumitomo Electric Industries, which employs about 6, people in Ukraine to make wire harnesses, said it suspended operations at its factories there from Friday.
Global shipping giant Maersk halted port calls in Ukraine until the end of February and closed its main office in Odessa on the Black Sea coast, while Danish carrier DSV said it had shut down operations in the country.
Shares of the German company Uniper, which has significant interests in Russia and a billion dollar exposure to the recently suspended Nord Stream 2 project, plunged on Thursday and its majority shareholder, the Finnish Fortum also sank, Reuters noted.
Another of Nord Stream 2’s financial backers, Wintershall Dea, said qu e the fact that the suspension of the project was for political reasons meant that its operator could seek compensation.
The German chemical company BASF, which co-owns Wintershall with Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman’s investment group LetterOne, and other Nord Stream 2 backers, OMV and Engie, also were affected.
Oreo cookie maker Mondelez International Inc told Reuters it will close its plants in Ukraine if the country’s tensions with Russia escalate and become “too dangerous”.
“We have large businesses in both countries. If that means we have to close plants because it’s too dangerous, we’ll do it,” CEO Dirk Van de Put said, “Making sure those people are safe…that’s the number one concern.”
Toyota Motor Corp. said the company will temporarily close all of its dealerships in Ukraine until Friday, while Nestlé made it known that for the moment its six factories in Russia continue to operate normally but they will be attentive to the evolution of the conflict.
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