Damco to open Maputo office

Damco to open Maputo office    Damco, the logistics and forwarding subsidiary of A.P. Moller – Maersk, will open a new office in Maputo, Mozambique on Dec. 15, the company said this week.
   Maputo is the capital and largest city of the southeast African nation. Damco already has an office in Beira, Mozambique's second-largest city, to support the landlocked countries of Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
   “Beira is mainly serviced through feeder vessels via Durban (draft restrictions prevents larger vessels from calling Beira) and this generally implies longer transit times,' said Christian Roeder, Damco Mozambique country manager. 'We made a conscious decision to improve on this, ensuring that customers can both source and export directly through Maputo. This increases the options, especially for mining companies, by offering inland transport solutions and stuffing services in Maputo. The port has recently experienced an increasing number of shipping lines offering direct calls from the Far East, making it a great time for this expansion.'
   Opening a pipeline in Maputo also opens a corridor that serves parts of South Africa, such as Mpumalanga, Gauteng (Johannesburg), and Limpopo Province, giving direct access to one of the most highly industrialized regions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the company said.
   'Maputo is also a cost-effective alternative to Durban and Beira for parts of the land-locked countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Swaziland,' the company said.