SAFMARINE HAS placed an order for three new container vessels for its Europe-West Africa routes.
The vessels will be built by Volkswerft, an A.P. Moller / Maersk Group-owned shipyard in Germany, with delivery during the second half of 2004.
Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) spot rates collapsed on Pacific trade routes with a sharp decline of 31% to the US West Coast and 23% to the East Coast.