CARRIERS POSTPONE WESTBOUND PACIFIC RATE RISE ON VEGETABLES

SHIPSERV FORMS ALLIANCES FOR PAYMENT, CREDIT SERVICES    Ocean carriers of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, a discussion agreement in the transpacific container trade, said that they are revising the amount and date of a previously-announced rate increase on westbound shipments of vegetables.
   The transpacific shipping lines serving the U.S. export trade to Asia said they will reduce a planned rate increase on shipments of “vegetable all kinds” from $200 per 40-foot container to $150, with proportionate adjustments for other equipment sizes and cargo otherwise rated. The increase, which was originally scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2001, has additionally been postponed until April 1.
   Carriers in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement said the changes “reflect current slow demand in Asia, a smaller California crop this season due to weather, and an effort to give customers more time to plan their shipments in first quarter 2001.”
   The carriers said the actions on vegetable all kinds are in part the result of discussions with the shipper community, as well as individual market research. However, they reiterated the need for an increase in rates for those shipments, after “marked declines during the 2000 shipping season.”
   The carriers of the WTSA agreement are APL, COSCO Container Lines, Evergreen Marine Corp., Hanjin Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line), Maersk Sealand, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, P&O Nedlloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Orient Overseas Container Line, and Yangming Marine Transport.