RESHUFFLE OF PARTNERSHIPS IN U.S. GULF/SOUTH AMERICA TRADE

RESHUFFLE OF PARTNERSHIPS IN U.S. GULF/SOUTH AMERICA TRADE    Hamburg-Sud Crowley American Transport is switching from a vessel-sharing agreement with Lykes Lines, TMM Lines, Libra and APL in the U.S. Gulf/East Coast of
South America trade to a competing grouping that includes sister companies Columbus Line and Alianca Navegacao e Logistica.
   The switch follows last year’s purchase of Crowley’s South American liner services by the Hamburg-Sud group, which also owns Columbus and Alianca.
   The reshuffle will lead to changes in the U.S. Gulf/East Coast of South America services operated by the two groups.
   Alianca announced that it is adding a second vessel to its service, effective immediately. The addition of the 1,850-TEU “Aliance Maracana” brings the service fleet to five and will improve schedule frequency from 14
to 11 days. Columbus, P&O Nedlloyd and now Crowley American Transport take space on the service.
   Following Crowley’s departure from their group, it is not known whether Lykes, TMM Lines, Libra and APL will revise their joint weekly service in the trade. These carriers are reducing the number of ships in their service
from seven to six.
   The service operated by Crowley, Alianca and partners includes calls at New Orleans, Houston, Altamira, Veracruz, Kingston, Cartagena, Fortaleza,
Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Paranagua, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Itajai, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Port of Spain, Cartagena, Kingston, and New Orleans
   The competing service of Lykes, TMM Lines, Libra and APL calls at Veracruz,    Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Salvador, Vitoria, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Itajai, Sao Francisco do Sul, Paranagua, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Vitoria, Puerto Cabello, Veracruz,
Altamira, Houston and New Orleans.