SINOTRANS AND HASCO TO SWAP TRANSPACIFIC SLOTS

SINOTRANS AND HASCO TO SWAP TRANSPACIFIC SLOTS    Sinotrans Container Lines and fellow Chinese shipping line Shanghai Hai Hua Shipping Co., Ltd., also known as HASCO, plan to exchange space in the transpacific trade.
   Under their proposed “SNL/HASCO Cross Space Charter and Sailing Agreement,” filed with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, the carriers will charter vessel space to and from each other in the trade between the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, on the one hand, and the U.S. Pacific Coast, on the other hand.
   Sinotrans has announced the launch of its first independent transpacific container service on June 29. The carrier’s China America Service will call at Huangpu, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Shanghai, Pusan, Long Beach or Los Angeles, and Oakland. Until now, Sinotrans has provided a transpacific container service by taking space on vessels operated by Hanjin Shipping.