Far East services adjusted to match market demands

Although one of the Maersk
Line/Safmarine East Asia-
West Africa services has
dropped its Durban calls,
this should not compromise
SA shippers, according to
David Williams, Maersk
Line MD in SA.
In the change of the port
rotation of the lines’ FEW3
service, ports of call in
Shanghai and Durban are to
be removed, while stops at
the Chinese ports of Fuzhou
and Ningbo as well as calls
at Onne in Nigeria and
Douala in Cameroon are to
be added.
The amended port
rotation for the FEW 3
service will be: Ningbo,
Yantian, Nansha, Tanjung
Pelepas, Pointe Noire,
Lagos-Tincan, Onne,
Douala, Tanjung Pelepas,
Nansha, Fuzhou, Ningbo.
It will continue to be
operated with 11 x 2 500-
TEU containerships.
“With regards to our Far
East services to Southern
and West Africa,” Williams
told FTW, “we will continue
to adjust services to match
our customers’ requirements
and market developments.”
The primary service
conducted by the two lines
(and partners) to and from
SA and the Far East is
currently the weekly Safari
product.
That has a port rotation
of Durban-Port Elizabeth-
Cape Town-Port Louis
(Mauritius)-Tanjung Pelepas
(Malaysia)-Hong Kong-
Shanghai-Ningbo-Yantian
(all China)-Tanjung Pelepas-
Durban.
“In addition,” Williams
added, “we have the FEW1
calling Richards Bay
(eastbound) on a fortnightly
basis (where vessels also
take bunkers). The FEW
2 service calls Durban
westbound for bunkers only.
“We then also have the
weekly M-Express service
from Maputo, connecting to
Far East origins/destinations
via Tanjung Pelepas.”