Hanjin expands to Black Sea

   Hanjin Shipping said Wednesday it is joining two services in the Black Sea region over the next month.
   The South Korean line will join a consortium service between Asia and the Black Sea from the middle of May.
   The eight-ship ABX service is currently operated by China Shipping, Yang Ming and “K” Line. It has a rotation of Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Singapore, Port Kelang, Piraeus, Istanbul, Constanza, Ilichevsk, Port Kelang, and Shanghai.
   PIL, Zim, and Wan Hai take slots on the service. It’s not immediately clear if Hanjin will provide a vessel on the loop, or if it will take slots only.
   The connection from Asia to the Black Sea is one Hanjin currently does not offer, according to American Shipper liner research affiliate ComPair Data.
   Hanjin will become a vessel operator, however, on a second service, the TLS Med-Black Sea feeder currently operated by Arkas Line and Turkon Line. The service will have a rotation of Port Said, Alexandria, Beirut, Mersin, Piraeus, Evyap, Istanbul, Gemlik, Izmir, Mersin, and Port Said.
   Each of the lines will provide one vessel of between 2,000 and 3,000 TEUs.
   “Using Port Said and Piraeus as transshipment hubs, TLS service will cover all major Turkish ports in addition to Lebanon and Egypt so as to fulfill customers’ demand in the area,” the line said. — Eric Johnson