China Shipping resumes eastbound service

TERRY HUTSON CHINA SHIPPING Container Line (CSCL) will resume its eastbound Durban/Far East service from February 2006. The line will initially deploy six of the 10 vessels on its SEAS service which calls from Brazil and Argentina en route to the Far East. A seventh vessel in this service will be included in the eastbound call at Durban from April 2006 with the other three vessels expected to join later making it a weekly service. Until now Durban has been included only on the westbound route. This development follows closely on the heels of the introduction of CSCL’s own independent Far East / Durban / West Africa service which was announced recently. The first vessel on this service, CSCL Fuzhou, called at Durban just after Christmas and was followed by the Paris which was expected in Durban on January 11. These developments are a clear indication of the commitment by CSCL, currently ranked as the 6th biggest container line, to the South African trade, said Paul Scannel, Seaclad Maritime’s line manager for CSCL.