New line enters breakbulk trade from Japan

THIS MONTH sees the launch of a new westbound breakbulk service from Japan, Korea and South East Asia to South and East African ports. Seacape Shipping Inc of Panama and the United States will commence loading its first vessel on the monthly service in the second half of this month from Japanese ports. The line will call at Kobe, Yokohama, Busan, Kwang Yang, Inchon, Port Louis, Durban, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, with inducement calls at other ports based on cargo demand. Agents for Seacape are Century Ships Agencies which has been formed by ex staff members of ALS Agencies. The company began operating this month, based in Woodmead, Johannesburg. Terry Harding, previous marketing director of ALS Agencies and a founder member of the new agency, told FTW: "This trade route has been the patch of ALS Agencies for some two decades during which time ALS was looked upon as a reliable and professional operation. "We intend to ensure that the same level of service to our new principal and our clients will continue," he told FTW. l The Hamburg-based Ahrenkiel Group announced last year that it would terminate its liner service this month after fulfilling its December commitments. This also marked the end of ALS Agencies.