EVERGREEN LISTED ARM SEES FALL IN 1ST-QUARTER REVENUE

EVERGREEN LISTED ARM SEES FALL IN 1ST-QUARTER REVENUE    Evergreen Marine Corp., the stock market-listed arm of the Taiwanese group, saw its consolidated revenues fall 6 percent in the first quarter, to NT$12.9 billion ($393 million), from NT$13.7 billion in the same quarter in 2000.
   Consolidated revenue figures for Evergreen Marine Corp. and its subsidiary Greencompass Marine S.A. showed a drop of 10 percent in January and 18 percent in February, followed by an increase of 14 percent in March. Overall, the net change for the first quarter amounts to the 6-percent decrease in revenues.
   The announcement may be a bellwether that lower rates and the slowdown in U.S. imports will begin eating into carriers’ revenues this year, after years of steady revenue growth.
   Effective this month, Evergreen Line and sister company Lloyd Triestino are revamping two of their joint weekly transpacific container services, taking several slower ships out of the trade and shortening port rotations.
   For the calendar year 2000, Evergreen Marine Corp. reported a 12-percent jump in total revenues, to NT$58.2 billion ($1.8 billion).
   Besides information on its stock market-listed arms, the Evergreen group does not publicize group-wide financial information on its activities.