PACIFIC CARRIERS REPORT SOARING EASTBOUND VOLUMES

PACIFIC CARRIERS REPORT SOARING EASTBOUND VOLUMES    Eastbound transpacific cargo volumes soared by 16
percent in January-February, to 983,000 TEUs, compared to 849,000 TEUs in the same period in 1999, according to the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement carriers.
   The TSA, a group of 13 major transpacific shipping lines, said that trade-wide eastbound cargo traffic was up by 20 percent in January and 10 percent in February, when compared to the same months last year.
   “Average weekly totals available for March to date suggest a possible 20-percent increase over March 1999,” a spokesman for the TSA added.
   TSA carriers reported an average vessel utilization of more than 80 percent during the first quarter, an 8-percent improvement over the average ship load factor at the same time last year.
   “Ships aren’t usually running this full after the holiday season,” said Albert A. Pierce, executive director of the TSA. He said that transpacific carriers were surprised by the increase in volumes.
   The first quarter is traditionally the weakest period of the year in the eastbound Pacific trade and volumes generally rise during the peak July-to-October period.
   The TSA group said that new transpacific operators have taken an estimated 7.7 percent share of the transpacific market. “That left approximately 9 percent cargo growth during the January-March period for
established transpacific carriers, ” a spokesman for the TSA said.
         The TSA carriers are APL, COSCO Container Lines, Evergreen, Hanjin Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, “K” Line, Maersk Sealand,
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, P&O Nedlloyd, NYK Line, Orient Overseas Container Line and Yangming Marine Transport.
   The new operators that entered the Pacific last year are Century Bridge, China Shipping Group, CMA CGM, Great Western Steamship, Lykes Lines, Mediterranean Shipping Co., Norasia and Trans-Pacific Lines.
   The TSA carriers had previously announced that they plan to increase eastbound rates by $400 per 40-foot container, effective May 1, and implement a $300-per-40-footer peak season surcharge applicable to shipments
during the period from July 1 to Oct. 31.