Lines plan Asia/East Coast South America changes

Lines plan Asia/East Coast South America changes Container carriers have announced changes on their Asia/East Coast South America services.
   MOL said it is starting an independent Asia/East Coast South America service in January. Its joint service with Pacific International Line will be dissolved. The service operates with 11 ships — MOL providing eight.
   Meanwhile PIL will enter into a new alliance with 'K' Line on the Asia/East Coast South America trade next June.
   By replacing some 3,000-TEU vessels with larger and faster ships, MOL said it will provide stable cargo capacity and higher schedule integrity to meet customer demand in this growing market.
   Ports and transit times remain unchanged from the existing service. The service, which starts Jan. 26, will employ 11 vessels — five with 3,000-TEU capacities and six 4,250-TEU ships in a fixed day weekly service.
   The rotation is Kobe, Yokohama, Nagoya, Pusan, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Paranagua, Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kobe.
   “K” Line said it would join with PIL to launch a weekly Asia/East Coast South America service in June 2009. Each company will provide five vessels.
   The exact rotation was not provided, but 'K' Line said the service would connect China and East Coast South America directly and would be supported by “K” Line’s service network in Asia-Pacific/Indian Ocean region.