CHINA IS a market of some interest to shipping line MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), according to m.d. Salvatore Sarno. With his vessels transhipping at Colombo to the sister MSC ships on the Europe-Far East trade, he is now offering calls at five of the main Chinese ports. Hong Kong (official handover still to come, but effectively the main Chinese through-port), Shanghai, Qingdao, Xingang and Chiwan.
Although he can't gauge it now - Our first service was a 100-box job, he said - Sarno talks about the China-SA trade being big volume.
The line is planning an all parties meeting in Singapore later this month - where China and logistics will be a main point-of-discussion.
New tanker joins its sister THE NEWLY built Engen Simunye joined the world tanker fleet and her sister ship Engen Rainbow when she left the Szczecin Shipyard in Poland early this month.
She is the second of a pair of 45 000 dwt specialised chemical/products tankers owned by Petrochemical Shipping, the joint venture between SA oil major Engen and SA shipowner Unicorn.
Engen Simunye has been under construction in Poland for the past nine months and will load her first consignment in Ventspils, Latvia.
Staff reshuffle THERE'S BEEN a reshuffle of staff at Maritime Carrier Shipping with Markus Popken taking over from David Groves as container manager. Groves has moved up to look after breakbulk, while Anisa Lachporia has taken over Popken's position in the US trade.
Popken, who joined MACS almost a year ago, completed his apprenticeship in Germany before joining King & Sons in South Africa. He has been involved in importing for the past six years.
