All vessels equipped with reefer plugs
AS TRADE with Mainland China continues its upward spiral, shipping lines offering direct services on the route are recording the benefits.
We've seen significant growth in the past three to four months, says Martin Dukhi, general manager of Mitsui OSK Lines, whose Super Express Service offers a link to Mainland China via a direct call at Shanghai.
The vessels, with capacity ranging from 1100 to 1400 teus, sail from Shanghai every 10 days with direct calls at Durban and alternate calls at Cape Town.
A similar pattern is followed on the South Africa - Shanghai leg with calls at Port Louis and Colombo en route.
The service, with its fixed schedule, offers South African importers and exporters a tremendous opportunity to improve on their competitiveness, says Dukhi.
In addition to the reliability of the direct service, the shipper has peace of mind in knowing his goods are on-board, it eliminates the need for double handling and reduces the risk to seasonally sensitive cargo.
All vessels are equipped with reefer plugs and both 20 foot and 40 foot (hi cube) equipment is available through the Ellerman & Bucknall network in South Africa.
