NYK, Hyundai start Asia/Africa/South America service

NYK, Hyundai start Asia/Africa/South America service    NYK and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) said they will operate jointly in the container trade between Asia, South Africa and the East Coast of South America.
   The new service, the New Horizon Express (NHX), will commence operations from the second half of April. It will replace NYK’s New Good Hope Express Service (NGX), which it operated together with Maersk Line and Hamburg S'd.
   The NHX will be a weekly fixed-day service operating 10 vessels of about 2,500 TEUs, eight from NYK and two from HMM.
   The port rotation will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Durban, Santos, Buenos Aires, Itajai, Paranagua, Santos, Itaguai (Sepetiba), Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Other main ports in Asia will be covered by feeder connections.
   Masato Katayama, chairman for NYK Line do Brasil Ltda, said: “This new configuration should greatly help NYK improve its customer service in the Asia to South Africa to South America trade, and moreover, allow NYK to build on its tradition of service to these areas.
   “We are delighted to announce this brand new premium service, which will allow HMM to enthusiastically participate in the fast-growing South American market as we work to meet our customers’ diverse needs,” said Seung In Yang, vice president of HMM’s container business department in Seoul.