ITALIA SWITCHES TO NEW MED/SOUTH AMERICA VSA

ITALIA SWITCHES TO NEW MED/SOUTH AMERICA VSA    Italia di Navigazione is joining an existing vessel-sharing agreement of Zim Israel Navigation Co., Niver Lines, Maruba and Contship Containerlines in the Mediterranean/East Coast of South America trade.
   The Joint Service South America will now comprise five carriers, including Italia. The joint weekly service, with six vessels, calls at Genoa, Leghorn, Barcelona, Valencia, Las Palmas, Vitoria, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Itajai, Santos, Vitoria, Salvador, Tenerife, Las Palmas, Barcelona and Genoa.
   Italia said that it will contribute one vessel, the “Dollart Trader,” to the vessel-sharing consortium.
   In June, Italia will leave the former Seagull vessel-sharing agreement, a consortium that also included Costa Container Lines, Companhia Libra de Navega''o and Ybarra. Ybarra is a venture controlled by Hamburg Sud and CMA CGM. The former Seagull agreement partners except Italia will form a new consortium in the Mediterranean/East Coast of South America trade, called Sirius.