Separate services cater for importers and exporters

IN SERVICING the SA-Far East trade, the shipping line CMA-CGM has established two services – AFEX on the westbound leg from Asia into Durban, and the SEAS service outbound from Durban. “We are currently running AFEX with a sailing approximately three times a month into Durban,” said Pam Yerushalmy, GM of CMA-CGM Shipping Agency in SA. “It is designed to cover the needs of our importer customer base in SA.” The service has direct calls at Xingang, Qingdao, Busan, Shanghai, Chiwan, Nansha, Port Kelang, Port Louis, Durban. On the eastbound trade the line’s SEAS service has weekly sailings carrying export cargoes from Durban to Port Kelang, Hong Kong, Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo and Chiwan. “It carries the traditional general cargoes from SA to Asia,” said Yerushalmy, “with base minerals also currently high on the list of our SA exports.” These cargoes were also supplemented during the last citrus season with fruit exports, the service being well supplied with reefer (refrigerated container) trade. “We are also getting good service integrity on SEAS,” Yerushalmy said, “which gives our customers a reliable channel for their exports into Asia.” CMA-CGM employs five of the tenstrong fleet on the service – run in a shipsharing alliance with China Shipping and Maruba. “This eastbound trade remains highly competitive as far as rates are concerned,” said Yerushalmy.”