Maersk drops Gulf-Central America loop

   Maersk Line said this week it is suspending a service it operates between the U.S. Gulf Coast and Central America due to low rate levels.
   The line will pull its standalone Expreso service from Sept. 17. The service has a rotation of Houston, New Orleans, Santo Tomas de Castilla, Puerto Cortes, Manzanillo (Panama), Puerto Limon, Puerto Cortes, Santo Tomas de Castilla, and Houston. According to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, the service is operated with three vessels with an average capacity of 1,713 TEUs.
   “The current rates and market conditions make it unsustainable for us to continue with this service,” the line said in a statement.
   According to ComPair Data, four other services currently link Houston and New Orleans with Central America – two from Seaboard Marine and one each from Mediterranean Shipping Co. and Hapag-Lloyd. – Eric Johnson