NYK starting Baltic loop

NYK starting Baltic loop NYK will next week start the Baltic Express (BAX) service connecting the ports of Hamburg in Germany, St. Petersburg in Russia and Kotka in Finland.
   The weekly service will start Dec. 12 from Hamburg using two 950-TEU vessels provided by X-Press Container Line but underwritten by NYK.
   The Japanese carrier said that Amsterdam will be added in March and the BAX will connect to four Asia/Europe services (EU1, EU2, EU3 and EU4) of the Grand Alliance, of which it is a member along with NYK, OOCL and MISC Berhad (only in the Asia/Europe market).
   “With our customers' trade in Russia growing strongly, we have been keen to expand our liner capabilities within this region,” said Takaya Soga, deputy managing director of NYK's liner division in Europe.