TSA welcomes Maersk involvement

TSA welcomes Maersk involvement

Widdows

   On the day ocean carrier Maersk Line announced it was applying for membership to rejoin the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, TSA Chairman Ron Widdows said he would welcome the inclusion of the world's biggest container line.
   Maersk said early Monday that it intends to rejoin the TSA after an absence of five years. If its application is successful, the Danish line would join Dec. 24. Maersk had been a member of TSA from its inception in 1989 until its resignation from the research and discussion forum in 2004.
   'We're pleased that Maersk sees value in TSA and wishes to rejoin the agreement,' said Widdows, who is also group president and chief executive officer of NOL, parent company of TSA member line APL. 'With the unprecedented challenges the industry is facing due to the current global economic crisis, TSA believes it is helpful to have another voice participating in the dialog to seek solutions that will benefit both carriers and shippers.'
   According to ComPair Data, Maersk operates four standalone transpacific services: one to the U.S. West Coast (TP5), one to both U.S. East and West coasts (TA3/TP7), one pendulum service between North America, the Far East and Europe (TP6) and one to Central America (AC2). The carrier also provides eight of 14 vessels on a joint pendulum service with CMA CGM that has an Asia/U.S. West Coast leg (TP3) and two of five vessels on another joint CMA CGM express loop to the U.S. West Coast (TP8). Finally, Maersk operates a service, using Horizon Lines vessels, between the Far East and U.S. West Coast that has a return call in Hawaii (TP1).