Consortia talks involve SA services

Negotiations are under way between the three
container shipping lines, CSAV, MSC and CMA
CGM – intended to implement joint operating
agreements or to form consortia on some
services.
The European talks, said Chilean carrier, CSAV,
are already at an advanced stage.
And certain of these combines are likely to
involve SA calls by the three.
The CSAV services that are being negotiated, for
example, include its trade lane from Asia to Africa,
the company said, part of a move which was in line
with the strategy to raise profitability, reduce the
volatility of results and exposure of the company.
The line reports that it and French carrier CMA
CGM this month joined forces to offer a service
between the Far East and the East Coast of South
America (ECSA).
Rhett van Zyl, MD of CMA CGM in SA,
confirmed this link-up, and noted that CSAV had
joined the line’s Seas service. This is now to have
two strings on the FE-ECSA trade. Seas 1 has a
Durban call, with Seas 2 calling at the new deepwater
port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape.
But, he added, while acknowledging that the
talks between the three lines were still under way,
he had no further information on other possible
link-ups at this stage.
Glenn Delve, Durban-based marketing director
of MSC, confirmed that the discussions between
the three lines were still continuing.
He told FTW that CMA CGM already had a
slot agreement on MSC’s Cheetah service between
Asia and SA – which Van Zyl also confirmed.