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.