Carriers team up to join Asia/Black Sea rush

Carriers team up to join Asia/Black Sea rush    Five carriers are partnering to start a joint weekly service in the increasing popular Asia-East Mediterranean/Black Sea trade.
   From early November, New World Alliance members APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and MOL will join forces with Hanjin Shipping and United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC) to start the East-Mediterranean/Black Sea Express (EBX).
   The EBX will use eight vessels ranging from 2,500 to 2,700 TEUs with three being provided by MOL, two from APL and one each from the other two carriers.
   The 56-day port rotation will be Shanghai (Sunday/Monday); Hong Kong (Wednesday/Wednesday); Yantian (Wednesday/Thursday); Singapore (Sunday/Monday); Damietta (Saturday/Sunday); Istanbul (Tuesday/Thursday); Constanza (Friday/Saturday); Illychevsk (Saturday/Monday); Izmir (Thursday/Friday); Damietta (Sunday/Sunday); Jeddah (Wednesday/Thursday); Singapore (Sunday/Monday) and back to Shanghai.
   The service will offer a transit time of 15 days from Singapore to Istanbul and 22 days to the Turkish port from Shanghai.
   “The introduction of the new service will enable the NWA, Hanjin and UASC to offer direct service from major Asian export hubs to key destinations in the East Mediterranean/Black Sea area, where the market is growing at remarkable speed,” the carriers said in a joint statement.
   China Shipping Container Lines, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Zim last month started a weekly Asia/Black Sea loop with seven vessels averaging about 3,700 TEUs.
   Also due in November is a fortnightly Far East/Black Sea service from Pacific International Lines and Wan Hai Lines that will initially use four vessels of about 2,800 TEUs before upgrading to weekly by mid-February with another three ships.
   The Grand Alliance of Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and OOCL started a similar service in June.