ARC ADDS U.S.-FLAG RO/RO SERVICE TO MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA

ARC ADDS U.S.-FLAG RO/RO SERVICE TO MEDITERRANEAN AND BLACK SEA    American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier will begin service between the U.S. East and Gulf coasts and the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea in November.
   The service will use two U.S.-flag ro/ro vessels, which will operate monthly in ports in Texas, Charleston, S.C.; and Baltimore, and ports in Turkey, Israel, Egypt, the Black Sea, Italy and Spain. ARC will also make inducement calls to multiple ports in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, transshipment connections, and intermodal services to inland destinations.
   ARC plans to use the service to transport U.S. government cargoes, with an emphasis on cars, trucks, construction and agriculture equipment, and project cargoes.
   To start the new service, ARC will add a fifth U.S.-flag ro/ro vessel to its fleet. “Our U.S.-flag roll-on roll-off vessels are extremely valuable for the carriage of vehicles, oversized and project cargo and are also regarded as the most militarily useful ships in the U.S.-flag international fleet,” said Raymond P. Ebeling, chairman and president of ARC, a subsidiary of Scandinavia-based Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines.
   Wallenius Wilhelmsen will charter space on the vessels and will offer the new Mediterranean service as part of its network of services.
   In addition to the new Mediterranean/Black Sea service, ARC operates U.S.-flag ro/ro service to northern Europe, providing sailings every 10 days between Brunswick, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; and Baltimore, and Radicatel, Antwerp, Bremerhaven and Southampton.