Meihuizen terminates SALCS agency agreement

RAY SMUTS AN AGREEMENT by Cape Town ships agent Meihuizen International to represent nationally the new South African Liner Container Services shipping line on the SA - Europe route, has collapsed virtually before the ink was dry on the documentation. Meihuizen director Gerald Hagemann confirmed to FTW last week that a letter had been sent to SALCS CEO Ian Wicks, indicating the company and its sub-services would with immediate effect terminate the agreement but honour and assist with such operations already initiated. Wicks preferred not to comment but told FTW that the appointment of another agent was under review. He agreed to meet with this correspondent next week. By way of background, Hagemann said SALCS was formed at the beginning of 2004, fielding one 750 TEU newbuild, the Encounter, chartered long-term from Dutch owner JR Shipping for service on the Europe/South Africa route. However the vessel was soon no longer in the picture as were two other JR Shipping newbuilds, scheduled for deployment in August and November. “As with the Encounter, our understanding is that the other vessels have both been shelved from a SALCS perspective.” Hagemann recalls that the start-up of combined operations - based on a two- year agreement - all “went rather well” The first vessel, Encounter, only completed one round trip between Europe and South Africa (about 36 days), carrying all told some 220 TEU and FEU before her cargo was arrested in Rotterdam over what Hagemann believes was a dispute concerning unpaid bunkers. The matter was resolved and the cargo released.