DSV has been sued in the United States for the sea transportation of wind turbine equipment to a port in Cuba. The logistics service provider has violated the Helms-Burton Act, a US Fidel Castro-era trade embargo law (1996) ratified by then-President Clinton, but not recognized by Europe, according to Americans.
The DSV branch in New Jersey knowingly allowed the transportation of wind turbine components from the Chinese manufacturer Goldwind to the Cuban port of Puerto Carupano in late 2018 / early 2019, according to the prosecutors. DSV acted as nvocc during transport. In addition to DSV and client Goldwind, BBC Chartering is also in the dock: the charter company supplied the ship “BBC Moonstone”.
Bill of lading
According to the US prosecutors, DSV knew only too well that a transport to Puerto Carupano could was impossible. In the bill of lading, Miami was mentioned as the port of unloading, when in reality the ship only had a stopover. According to the Americans, DSV continuously knew where the vessel was located.
From an American point of view, the Cuban port of Puerto Carupano is considered “confiscated property” and the accused companies have thus misused other people’s infrastructure to gain commercial profit. The Americans argue that their sugar industry has had decades-long claims to use the port and blame the companies for not asking North American Sugar Industries for permission beforehand.
For Goldwind, DSV and BBC Chartering jointly, a claim of $ 97 million from North American Sugar Industries is now on the table. The offending transport took place as part of the Herradura Wind Farm Project, Cuba’s largest wind energy project, which is being realized with Chinese help. Hundreds of millions of dollars are involved in the project.