VSA MAKES CHANGES IN U.S. EAST COAST/EAST COAST SOUTH AMERICA TRADE

VSA MAKES CHANGES IN U.S. EAST COAST/EAST COAST SOUTH AMERICA TRADE    The members of the East Coast United States/East Coast South America Vessel Sharing Agreement have filed a proposal with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to revise their agreement in the trade.
   The proposal will see the realignment of three U.S. East Coast/East Coast South America loops into two, allowing for the replacement of 11 smaller ships with six new Hamburg Sud-owned 3,800-TEU ships.
   Members of the “ECUS/ECSA VSA” are Maersk Sealand; P&O Nedlloyd; Hamburg-Sud subsidiaries, Alianca Navegacao & Logistica Ltd, Columbus Line and Crowley American Transport; along with Compania Sud Americana de Vapores and its subsidiary Companhia Libra de Navega''o.
   The services involved are the “Samba” and “Tango” strings of Alianca, Columbus Line, P&O Nedlloyd, Maersk Sealand and CSAV, and the “East Coast Service” of Crowley American Transport, Lykes Lines, APL and Evergreen. The revised services are expected to start Sept. 26.
   Port coverage will remain largely the same after the realignment, with only Savannah and Paranagua no longer being served direct, according to ComPairData, the global online shipping database.
   Introduction of the six new 3,800-TEU ships will be offset by the elimination of 11 ships of 1,500 to 2,500 TEUs. According to compare Data, the combined total weekly capacity of the two new strings (6,209-TEUs) will be slightly less than the combined total of the three previous strings (6,248 TEUs).
   The revised port rotations for the proposed services are:
   String 1: Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, Suape, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Suape (fortnightly), Fortaleza (fortnightly) and Philadelphia.
   String 2: Norfolk, New York, Charleston, Jacksonville, Freeport, Miami, Puerto Cabello, Santos, Paranagua, Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos, Salvador, Puerto Cabello, Freeport and Norfolk.