UASC sees opportunity in USEC markets

Ocean carrier United Arab Shipping Co. will enter the transatlantic trade via partnership agreements with fellow Ocean3 member CMA CGM and Hamburg Sud.    Ocean carrier United Arab Shipping Company said in a statement its participation in a new North Europe–United States East Coast service (NEU1) is part of the company’s strategy to “provide customers with worldwide transportation access and reach.”
   “The US East Coast markets provide a significant opportunity for UASC and its customers and these new service offerings mark an important step in UASC’s evolution as well as giving a sense of our longer term aspirations,” said Jørn Hinge, president and chief executive officer of UASC.
   UASC will provide one vessel on a pendulum service along with CMA CGM and Hamburg Sud that uses 15 ships between the Far East, the Americas and Europe via the Panama Canal. The eastern segment is used to offer transatlantic service.
   UASC has dubbed the service the NEU1, while CMA CGM calls it the Vespucci and Hamburg Sud calls it the APNE.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the New Vespucci is operated with 15 ships, nine from CMA CGM, five from Hamburg Sud and one from UASC, with an average capacity of 4,366 TEUs. The rotation of the transatlantic portion of the loop is Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, New York, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Southampton, New York, Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah.
   UASC also said that following the recent delivery of 2,000 new reefer units, the carrier has ordered additional 3,500 reefer containers with technology provided by Daikin.
   Dubai-based UASC is a member of the Ocean3 vessel sharing agreement with CMA CGM and China Shipping, cooperating on the transpacific and Asia-Europe trades.