SafmarineMPV extends USA-WAF service

The multi-purpose shipping line will add calls to its loop between the U.S. and West Africa.    Multi-purpose shipping line SafmarineMPV will expand its U.S. to West Africa USA-WAF service, adding calls in the Congo and Angola.
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the USA-WAF service has a current port rotation of Savannah, Houston, Lagos, Onne, and back to Savannah. The loop operates with two multi-purpose container vessels with an average capacity of 1,086 TEUs.
   The Maersk subsidiary line, which offers project cargo, break-bulk and container services to West Africa, said the USA-WAF will begin calling at Pointe Noire in the Congo and Sonils in Luanda, with the option for ad-hoc inducement calls to handle special project cargoes in other West African ports.
   “Extending the USA-WAF service southbound has always been part of SafmarineMPV’s strategy,” Jorg Knuttel, managing director of SafmarineMPV, said in a statement.
   “The first step was to move key staff and responsibilities from Antwerp to Houston to strengthen the US organization,” said Knuttel. “This we did in August 2013. The next step was to strengthen our footprint in the West African trade. This we’ve achieved with today’s announcement of the southbound extension of our USA – West Africa service.”
   Randy Jameson, commercial director for the USA-WAF service, said, “Our expansion into the southern range of western Africa is in response to the growing needs of our customer base who require faster transit times and direct sailings to the key ports in the region. We’ve discussed this service extension with a number of key customers active across various end-markets and their response and initial cargo support has been very positive.”