SAFMARINE SETS UP OFFICES, NEW AGENTS IN ASIA

SAFMARINE SETS UP OFFICES, NEW AGENTS IN ASIA    Safmarine Container Lines is changing the way its services are marketed in Asia by setting up its own offices in the region or appointing new agents.
   From August 1, Safmarine will bring its agency functions in-house in Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Previously, the carrier had used independent agents.
   Safmarine said that the move to in-house agency offices is part of its group policy to have a direct interface with customers wherever possible.
   In Malaysia and Sri Lanka, Maersk Sealand offices will start representing Safmarine. Maersk Sealand is a sister company of Safmarine within the Danish A.P. Moller group. This is believed to be the first time since A.P. Moller’s takeover of Safmarine in 1999 that Safmarine has appointed a Maersk Sealand company to market its services.
   In other Asian countries, Safmarine has appointed new independent agents. The agents are Saigon Shipping Services in Vietnam; Shanghai Tie Yang Multi
Modal Co. (TMT) in China; Constar Holdings Co. in Taiwan; Bangkok Marine Co. in Thailand; Pt Bintang Kartika Makmur in Indonesia; Mercantile Ocean Maritime
Co. in the Philippines; and MCC Transport Singapore in Singapore.
   Safmarine has also appointed new management staff in Asia. Grant Daly will head the Asia region as Far East regional executive. Wilson Liu, who has been based in Safmarine’s Singapore office for a number of years, has
been appointed Far East regional office commercial manager.