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.”