MAERSK WITHDRAWS U.S./AFRICA MULTIPURPOSE SERVICES

   Maersk Line has stopped its direct U.S. East Coast multipurpose service
to and from West Africa and South Africa.
   The FlexCon service, launched last year, aimed to carry containers as
well as breakbulk and project cargoes on multipurpose vessels, but it
didn’t attract enough customers, according to sources at Maersk.
   Maersk continues to provide a transshipment container service between
the U.S. East Coast and West and South Africa, via its Mediterranean hub in
Algeciras.

   While the May 21 Shippers NewsWire correctly reported that Maersk was
discontinuing its FlexCon U.S. East Coast/West and South Africa service,
the shipping line continues to serve the trade with its recently acquired
SCL liner services.
   A Maersk official pointed out that the fortnightly FlexCon service was
replaced by the weekly multipurpose vessel service provided through SCL.