Norasia, Hapag-Lloyd start Asia/eastern Med service
Norasia and Hapag-Lloyd are the latest carriers to announce a new direct container service between Asia and the eastern Mediterranean.
The carriers will start a weekly service in late November, with seven ships of about 2,700 to 3,000 TEUs on a round trip rotation of 49 days. The port rotation will be Shanghai, Ningbo (both in China), Keelung (Taiwan), Chiwan (China), Singapore, Port Klang (Malaysia), Damietta (Egypt), Constanta (Romania), Istanbul (Turkey), Damietta, Colombo (Sri Lanka), Port Klang and Shanghai again.
“The Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea have great medium- to long-term potential for trade with East Asia,” said Adolf Adrion, executive board member of Hapag-Lloyd.
Hapag-Lloyd estimates about 570,000 containers will be shipped this year from the Far East to the Eastern Mediterranean, excluding the Black Sea.