Trio team up in Indian subcontinent/Middle East/Africa trades

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will partner with Singapore-based Pacific International Line and Zim subsidiary, Mauritius-based Laurel Navigation, on the trade between the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Africa.   From July, each company will provide three ships on two services. One of the loops, MRX, at present operated solely by MOL, will discontinue calls at South Africa and become dedicated to the East Africa market.   The revised MRX service will operate on a weekly basis using four 1,200-TEU ships with a port rotation of Karachi, Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and back to Karachi.   At the same time, the carriers will combine on a 12-day service for South and West Africa. Using five 1,200-TEU ships, the service will have a rotation of Jebel Ali, Nhava Sheva, Durban, Lagos, Cotonou, Tema, Cape Town, Durban and Jebel Ali.