Chilean container line CSAV and Mediterranean Shipping will jointly operate four liner services under a new agreement, stepping up ocean carrier rationalization amid overcapacity, slowing cargo demand and sliding freight rates, Journal of Commerce reports.CSAV, which suspended three services earlier this month, said the agreement will expand coverage, cut transit times and increase frequencies on services between north Europe and the west coast of South America, Asia and South Africa, the east coast of South America and the Middle East and South Africa, and the Middle East and India.
The agreement will take effect no later than the first week of August and will be initially valid for three years, CSAV said.
“This is a sign of CSAV’s positive view towards the future economic growth and development of these important markets,” the carrier said.
The agreement was signed as Geneva-based MSC announced it was postponing the launch of a third trans-Pacific string in a vessel sharing agreement with CMA CGM and Maersk Line, due to launch in mid-May, until the second quarter of 2012.
CSAV’s Euroandes service between north Europe and the west coast of South America will upgrade to a weekly operation of eight 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit ships, starting with the first southbound sailing from Rotterdam on July 31.
The port rotation is: Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Caucedo, Cartagena, Cristobal, Balboa, Callao, Puerto Angamos, Coronel, San Antonio, Balboa, Cristobal, Rotterdam.
The service will be complemented by three new weekly feeder services – Cristobal-Central America, Balboa-Colombia and Peru and Balboa-Ecuador.
The ASAX service between Asia and South Africa will deploy seven 4,000/6,700 TEU ships weekly with the following port rotation: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Singapore, Port Louis, Durban, Ngura, Port Louis, Singapore, Fuzhou.
The Marco Polo service between India, the Middle East and South Africa will deploy five 2,500/3,000 TEU vessels weekly with the following port rotation: Duban, Jebel Ali, Karachi, Mundra, Nava Sheva, Colombo, Durban.
The agreement will take effect no later than the first week of August and will be initially valid for three years, CSAV said.
“This is a sign of CSAV’s positive view towards the future economic growth and development of these important markets,” the carrier said.
The agreement was signed as Geneva-based MSC announced it was postponing the launch of a third trans-Pacific string in a vessel sharing agreement with CMA CGM and Maersk Line, due to launch in mid-May, until the second quarter of 2012.
CSAV’s Euroandes service between north Europe and the west coast of South America will upgrade to a weekly operation of eight 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit ships, starting with the first southbound sailing from Rotterdam on July 31.
The port rotation is: Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Caucedo, Cartagena, Cristobal, Balboa, Callao, Puerto Angamos, Coronel, San Antonio, Balboa, Cristobal, Rotterdam.
The service will be complemented by three new weekly feeder services – Cristobal-Central America, Balboa-Colombia and Peru and Balboa-Ecuador.
The ASAX service between Asia and South Africa will deploy seven 4,000/6,700 TEU ships weekly with the following port rotation: Fuzhou, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Singapore, Port Louis, Durban, Ngura, Port Louis, Singapore, Fuzhou.
The Marco Polo service between India, the Middle East and South Africa will deploy five 2,500/3,000 TEU vessels weekly with the following port rotation: Duban, Jebel Ali, Karachi, Mundra, Nava Sheva, Colombo, Durban.