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Matson Inc. is contributing $350,000 in shipping services to Guam after Typhoon Mawar battered the U.S. territory.
The contribution from the shipping container company will support transportation and in-kind services for Guam, Micronesia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The company’s containership Maunawili began discharging more than 450 containers of general goods Sunday following the reopening of the Port of Guam.
In a statement Monday, Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox said, “Thanks to the focused efforts of the Guam government, the Port Authority of Guam and the U.S. Coast Guard to reopen the port, we were able to deliver goods to Guam within days of the storm passing.”
“We want the people of Guam, Micronesia and CNMI to know that they can count on Matson to help our communities recover in the difficult weeks ahead. We are committed to helping with recovery efforts in the way we know best — by delivering needed supplies, equipment, and donations to Guam as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Cox said.
Matson is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross to facilitate shipments of relief supplies to Guam in the coming weeks and months. The company is also working with community organizations in Hawaii that are assisting with relief efforts.
Low-interest federal disaster loans are also available via the U.S. Small Business Administration to Guam businesses and residents affected by the typhoon.
Interest rates can be as low as 4% for businesses, 2.375% for nonprofit organizations and 2.5% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years.
For more information, contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at disasterassistance.gov.
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