ASIA/SOUTHERN AFRICA CARRIERS TO RESTRUCTURE SERVICES

ASIA/SOUTHERN AFRICA CARRIERS TO RESTRUCTURE SERVICES    Six ocean carriers in the Asia/Southern Africa trade will reorganize their container services next April, following the decision of P&O Nedlloyd to withdraw from the largest vessel-sharing agreement in the trade.
   The Safari vessel-sharing agreement, which runs a direct weekly service between Asia and Southern Africa with nine containerships, was first established in 1981 and will now end in April.
   Its current carrier members are Safmarine, its sister company Maersk Sealand, P&O Nedlloyd, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, “K” Line and Malaysia International Shipping Corp.
   Some of the current vessel-sharing agreement partners are expected to regroup to form a new joint weekly service.
   George Slade, Safmarine’s Far East trade executive, confirmed that the Safari service is undergoing restructuring which will come into effect during April 2001.
   “Safmarine, as the major partner in the Safari grouping, will ensure that a named day weekly service covering an extensive range of Asian ports, for all existing and future customer requirements, will replace the existing Safari service,” Slade said.
   The Safari service currently calls at Port Elizabeth, Durban, Cape Town, Durban, Port Kelang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Keelung, Yokohama, Shimizu, Nagoya, Kobi, Moji, Busan, Keelung, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Kelang and Port Elizabeth.