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CMA CGM
& ANL Malaysia Sdn Bhd, the top main-line operator at Westports
Malaysia, sees cargo volumes picking up in the second half of the
year. "Actually some of our volumes are picking up and hope to
see some signs of recovery as soon as this month, so it's coming," said
Managing Director, Simon Whitelaw in a statement. According to
Whitelaw, although the French liner experienced a small drop in the
first quarter of this year, it saw an increase in large boxes compared
with the corresponding period last year.
CMA CGM
Vela at Westports is the world's third largest container shipping
company.
He sees a
slight recovery in April, May and June and a further pick-up in
volumes in the second half of the year. While making improvements
in its services from Asia to the Mediterranean (westbound), parent
company, CMA CGM, the world's third largest container shipping company
will also introduce two new services, one of which is to Mozambique,
Africa, starting from the middle of this month. "We are looking
at new services, especially to Africa which is doing very well. Additionally CMA CGM will offer upgraded service coverage to Western
and Central Mediterranean from Asia. Starting from the middle of
this month, CMA CGM will enter into a new vessel sharing agreement with
Maersk, providing a vessel of 8,500 twenty-foot equivalent units
(TEUs) capacity. The new service will allow wider port coverage,"
Whitelaw said.
Rotation of the new service will be as follows: Lian Yun Gang, Qindao,
Shanghai, Fuzhou, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Jeddah,
Port Said, Gioia Tauro, Genoa, Fos, Gioia Tauro, Damietta, Port Said,
Salalah, Port Klang, Singapore, Lian Yun Gang. The service will
be operated with nine vessels of about 6,500 TEUs. "A new US East
Coast, West Coast pendulum service commences in May, while a revised
Black Sea service (BEX) also commences in May with direct calls at
Westports and Tanjung Pelepas. So despite the current economic
situation, CMA CGM is planning and committed to the recovery expected
in 2010," Whitelaw said.
Source: The News Straits Times 4 May, 2009
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