Maersk pulls services from Gioia Tauro

Maersk pulls services from Gioia Tauro    Maersk Line confirmed reports Tuesday that its Asia/Europe services will cease calling the port Gioia Tauro in Southern Italy by early July.
   “In effect this means that Gioia Tauro no longer will be used as a transshipment hub in Maersk Line’s global network. We will continue calling Gioia Tauro as part of our Mediterranean feeder network,” said Maersk spokesman Michael Storgaard.
   “Our presence in Gioia Tauro has decreased over the last couple of years, and today we do not have the critical volume for designating Gioia Tauro as a transshipment hub in our network.'
   Storgaard said “cargo from Asia to markets in the Central Mediterranean will be transshipped in Malta, where Maersk Line will leverage its vessel sharing agreement with CMA CGM.”
   Bloomberg reported Monday that Yildirim Holding AS, a Turkish container port operator that owns 20 percent of CMA CGM, has agreed to buy half of Malta Freeport Terminals from CMA CGM for 200 million euros ($286 million).
   Storgaard noted cargo from Asia to markets in the fast-growing East Mediterranean markets, especially in Turkey and along the Black Sea, have over the years increasingly been transshipped via Port Said, Egypt.