Asia/South Africa/South America peak loader cut

Asia/South Africa/South America peak loader cut    A service linking Asia, South Africa and Brazil operated by Maersk Line, Hamburg Sud and Safmarine is being deleted, Safmarine told Containerisation International this week.
   The service, dubbed ASAS 2, was a so-called 'peak loader' introduced in July by the carriers to complement a similar service they offered in the same trade, the ASAS loop.
   Safmarine said the end of the ASAS 2 was always planned. The service was introduced to meet peak season demand, particularly from China to Brazil. The ASAS 2 is to be suspended from the middle of December. The rotation, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, was Shanghai, Ningbo, Da Chan Bay, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Durban, Santos, Itajai, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Shanghai. It was operated with 10 vessels, with an average capacity of 2,966 TEUs (though according to ComPair Data as of Wednesday, four of the vessels were unallocated, signaling either intentionally dropped sailings or the end of the service).
   To cover South Africa, the carriers will switch the ASAS 2's Durban and Port Elizabeth calls to the 12-ship ASAS (operated by Hamburg Sud). That service, with an average weekly capacity of 5,944 TEUs, will have a rotation of Nagoya, Yokohama, Busan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Durban, Sepetiba, Santos, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Navegantes, Paranagua, Santos, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Singapore, Hong Kong and Nagoya.
   On Monday, American Shipper reported CSAV was cutting capacity on a service between Asia and South Africa.