TECMARINE CEASES OPERATIONS

TECMARINE CEASES OPERATIONS    Tecmarine Lines, the U.S./Caribbean shipping line based in Port Everglades, Fla., has ceased operations.
   Calls to Tecmarine’s head office today were diverted to Seaboard Marine, the shipping line that is taking over the Northeast U.S./Dominican Republic/Haiti/Jamaica container service previously operated by Tecmarine Lines.
   A spokesman for Seaboard could not comment on a report that Tecmarine has gone into liquidation. Seaboard is expected to make an announcement concerning Tecmarine in the next few days.
   On Wednesday, a spokesman for Tecmarine announced the transfer of its Northeast U.S./Dominican Republic/Haiti/Jamaica container service to Seaboard, but without giving information on the future of the company.
   “The state of the industry and the current economic climate dictates that consolidation in shipping is a fact of life,” the Tecmarine spokesman said.
   It is not known whether Seaboard will also acquire Tecmarine’s South Atlantic/Jamaica Express service.
   The Miami Herald reported today that Seaboard Marine would buy Tecmarine and close the operation, dismissing about 85 workers.
   Earlier this year, Tecmarine sold one of its three container services to Tropical Shipping in an attempt to concentrate on the more profitable ports. Tropical acquired certain assets of the eastern Caribbean and North Coast of South America service of Tecmarine, as well as its affiliate TMX Logistics Inc.
   Tecmarine was established in Florida in 1985, and took over an existing Caribbean liner service.
   Tecmarine is the second container shipping line in a week to cease operations. Earlier this week, Hong Kong-based Trans-Pacific Lines confirmed that it would stop operating.