LLOYD TRIESTINO LAUNCHES PACIFIC SERVICES

LLOYD TRIESTINO LAUNCHES PACIFIC SERVICES    New transpacific entrant Lloyd Triestino confirmed that it is starting its Asia/U.S. East Coast weekly service Aug. 31 and has plans to add two Asia/U.S. West Coast weekly services in November.
   The Italian line's re-entry into the transatlantic, announced in June, will be part of a slot-charter arrangement with Evergreen, its parent company, on the Asia/U.S. East Coast and U.S. East Coast/Asia legs of its weekly round-the-world eastbound and westbound services. Lloyd Triestino will not market the Asia/U.S. West Coast and U.S. West Coast/Asia portions of the round-the-world services.
   The eastbound round-the-world service calls at Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Pusan, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Shimizu. Westbound, the port calls are Tokyo, Osaka, and Hakata in Japan plus Pusan, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong. The U.S. ports served are Charleston, Baltimore (eastbound), Norfolk (westbound) and New York.
   Lloyd Triestino said it will also offer a minibridge alternative to New York over Tacoma, complementing its new all-water service, under a vessel-sharing agreement with Evergreen on its weekly Trans-Pacific Northwest service. Lloyd Triestino will contribute a 5,364-TEU containership, chartered from Evergreen, to the five-ship Trans-Pacific Northwest service.
   “This is an interim arrangement,” a spokesman for Lloyd Triestino said. “With effect from Nov. 1, Lloyd Triestino will offer a full transpacific service using the TPN post-Panamax fleet.” The Trans-Pacific Northwest service has a rotation of Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo, Tacoma, Vancouver, Tacoma, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Kaohsiung.
   The Italian carrier will also take space on a second Asia/U.S. West Coast service operated by Evergreen, the Hong Kong-Taiwan-U.S. West Coast “HTW” link. Lloyd Triestino will start this operation in about November. The HTW service calls Pusan, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Portland, Vancouver and Tacoma.
   Lloyd Triestino has set up a New Jersey office and is adding offices on the West Coast. “We are establishing our own office network in North America and as this expands, so will the range of services we intend to offer,” said Pier Luigi Maneschi, chairman of the company.
   Lloyd Triestino, after Wan Hai Lines and Maruba, is the third carrier to enter the booming transpacific trade this year.