CSAV to start Asia/Med service

CSAV to start Asia/Med service CSAV to start Asia/Med service
   Liner carrier CSAV Norasia said Wednesday it is rejoining the Asia/Mediterranean trade with a new 10-ship service starting March 18.
   The Mare Nostrum service will connect China and Malaysia with a host of western Mediterranean ports. The weekly loop will be operated with 10 CSAV vessels of about 5,000 TEUs each.
   Rotation for the service will be Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Malta, Genoa, Marseilles Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Malta, Jeddah, Port Kelang and Xingang.
   CSAV, troubled through much of 2009 with debts before shareholders stepped in to bolster the Chilean company, has launched a series of new services and feeders in Asia and Europe in recent days. And its decision to rejoin the Asia/Med trade follows a reported move by Wan Hai and PIL to rejoin the Asia/Northern Europe trade, signaling that carriers are bullish about increased demand and rising rates between Asia and Europe.
   CSAV has served the Asia/western Med trade through a slot arrangement on Evergreen’s FEM service, which calls at Genoa, Valencia and Barcelona. CSAV also operates its own Far East/eastern Med service, but it suspended a Asia/Northern Europe service in early 2009.