New service tests Caribbean/Asia market

New service tests Caribbean/Asia market A new vessel-sharing partnership and service based in Manzanillo, Mexico, and calling several ports in the Caribbean Basin kicks off today in what has been described as a test service that could eventually lead to a direct Far East/Caribbean Basin link.
   Chilean carriers Compania Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) and Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica (CCNI) are teaming up with Argentina-based Maruba Lines in a new weekly service, according to Capt. Pablo Rossi, Maruba North America's owner's representative based in Miami.
   The service has a port rotation of Manzanillo; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Cartagena, Colombia; Rio Haina, Dominican Republic; La Guaira, Venezuela; Puerto Cabello, Venezuela; Cartagena; Puerto Caldera; Puerto Quetzal; and back to Manzanillo.
   The new service is an offshoot of CSAV's Pacific Caribbean (PACAR) service, which had included the Far East ports of Busan, Shanghai, Chiwan, and Hong Kong. The new service will also be known as the PACAR service.
   Rossi explained the previous version of PACAR, with CSAV and CCNI as partners, had a frequency of nine to 10 days, and the participating partners wanted to upgrade its Caribbean frequency to weekly.
   Since Maruba and vessel-sharing partner CMA CGM already have an Asia/Latin America service, and CSAV, CCNI and vessel-sharing partner Hamburg Sud have a service in the trade, the new PACAR partners decided to deploy vessels between Manzanillo, Mexico and the Caribbean Basin, using Manzanillo as a feeder hub where transpacific vessel could transship Asia cargo to the Caribbean.
   Rossi said the new service is considered to be a 'phase I' test of how well the partners can do in building a market between Asia and the Caribbean. If volumes warrant, the service would be expanded to add more vessels and start direct service between Asia and the Caribbean, without the handoff between vessels in Mexico.
   Details of the revised PACAR service are available from ComPair Data, American Shipper’s affiliated database for global liner services, at www.compairdata.com.