Shipping association merger imminent

WHILE NO official statement has yet been released, there is word in the shipping industry that the amalgamation of the three bodies – the Association of Shipping Lines (ASL), the Container Liner Operators' Forum (Clof) and the Association of Ships Agents and Brokers of SA (Asabosa) – is just around the corner. According to trade sources, the announcement might even have been this week after FTW’s print date. If this is the case, the next step should be the hunt for a new CEO for the combined body – intended at its concept to give the industry a single voice in its dealings with the market and the authorities.