ZIM RESTRUCTURES AGENCIES IN EUROPE AND TURKEY

ZIM RESTRUCTURES AGENCIES IN EUROPE AND TURKEY    Zim Israel Navigation Co. is completing a reorganization of its agencies network in Europe and Turkey.
   In northern Europe, the company is merging the activities of three agencies, in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg, to create a unified management in Hamburg. The single agency organization is called Astramaris Europe.
   Because most of the freight in north Europe originates from the inland, the single agency organization will coordinate operations covering the three ports.
   “Concentrating and coordinating the operations through one office will result in a significant improvement of the logistics of containers in import and export alike,” the carrier said.
   The offices in North Europe traditionally handled the North Europe/Israel, but the expansion of Zim’s liner network to include the Asia/Europe and transatlantic trades has widened their business.
   In Italy, one of Zim’s five major markets, the company said it has entered into partnerships with agencies all over the country, except in Naples. The cooperative arrangements are with Zim’s former third-party agent, the Fremura group, and are believed to be based on a 50/50 ownership split.
   The partnerships will enable a better coordination and control of the agencies’ activities, Zim said.
   In Turkey, the company has also entered into a partnership with its main agent.
   Zim said that it aims to increase its efficiency, involvement and control of activities of the agencies in the marketplace and in the ports.