Maersk, Safmarine start Africa/South America direct link

Maersk, Safmarine start Africa/South America direct link    The A.P. Moller-Maersk group’s two liner shipping subsidiaries, Maersk Sealand and Safmarine, are jointly launching an unusual container service connecting ports on the East Coast of South America and in West Africa without the need for transshipment.
   The fortnightly service will start March 17. Three 1,700-TEU vessels, each fitted with more than 200 reefer plugs, will call at Walvis Bay, Lobito, Luanda, Pointe Noire, Libreville, Apapa, and Abidjan in West Africa; and Itajai, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Rio Grande in South America, returning to Walvis Bay.
   Additional West African ports served by feeders will include Tincan Island, Tema and Douala (via Abidjan); Cotonou and Lome (via Walvis Bay); and Matadi (via Pointe Noire).
   Maersk Sealand will market the service under the name “Sawa Direct” and Safmarine will call it “Wasadi.”
   Safmarine said the service has been introduced in response to the growing trade between the two regions. The Belgium-based carrier sees significant potential for growth in this trade, particularly with regard to reefer shipments.
   Copenhagen-based Maersk Sealand said the new direct service creates opportunities for shippers “to capture new, unexplored markets on either side of the South Atlantic.”