MSC ups calls at ICTSI's Syrian terminal after Maersk goes weekly

GENEVA's Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has increased calls to International Container Terminal Services Inc's (ICTSI) container handling facility in Syria, the Tartous International Container Terminal (TICT).

"We are gearing TICT for increase in volume and vessel calls in the coming months, and we expect to surpass our 2008 volumes by year end. This cargo boost will also be driven by strong growth in Iraqi transit trade," said TICT general manager Romeo Salvador.

Maersk recently increased its service to weekly calls. The Syrian terminal posted a 44 per cent increase in container throughput during the first six months of the year over the same period in 2009.

Early this year, MSC started calling at the Manila-based company's Syrian terminal as an alternative to the Port of Lattakia, the country's main port. MSC cited Lattakia's increasing cargo congestion and high port and labour fees as reasons for the move to TICT.

In a company statement, Abdul Razak Suleiman, head of Dalia Shipping Agency and representative of MSC in Syria said: "Dalia has been a pioneering shipping agency in Syria, and through the years, we have witnessed how the country's ports made strides in terms of operations and services. At Tartous, we've observed significant development after the privatisation of container facilities in 2006."

TICT is the most modern container handling facility in Syria, and the nearest port to the country's capital Damascus. Recent productivity at the TICT is at 18 moves per hour per crane using two units of state-of-the-art mobile harbour cranes.

Aside from high productivity, shipping lines enjoy seamless vessel workflows with TICT's leading edge terminal software and systems. TICT uses an electronic data interchange-enabled terminal operating system, which provides easy communication and direct interface with the shipping lines.

TICT also introduced superior cargo consolidation and deconsolidation services at its container freight stations (CFS). CFS services for consignees were streamlined including improvements in reducing damages of cargo during stripping as well as zero pilferage.

This year, MSC and another new caller, Russia's Transcontainer Shipping Line, has joined TICT's growing client portfolio, which includes CMA CGM, Maersk Line, Safmarine, EMES, Hamburg Sud, Sermar Line and CSAV Norasia.

Source: schednet