Hanjin ups Africa with slot buys from 'K' Line-PIL's Asia-Cape loop

KOREA's Hanjin Shipping is expanding its Asia-South African services from the end of October when it joins the weekly link provided by Japan's "K" Line and Singapore's Pacific International Lines (PIL).

Through a slot purchase deal, Hanjin will buy between 250 and 300 TEU a week, the size varying with the size of vessel in the service, which deploys seven 3,000-4,300-TEU ships, with K Line's providing five and PIL, two. Malaysia's MISC Berhad and Chile's CSAV are also slot buyers.

The rotation in what Hanjin calls the SFX (South Africa Express) service, will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Keelung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Shekou, Port Klang, Durban and Cape Town and back to Shanghai.

Hanjin said South Africa is the gateway to expanding business in Africa: "It will certainly help us build presence not only in Durban, where we have already been providing service, but in Cape Town as well," said a spokesman.

Hanjin sees the African subcontinent as offering good growth and is said to be studying further options on the continent, reports London's Containerisation International. Earlier this year Hanjin joined UASC to launch a Spain/West Africa loop. Based at its own terminal in Algeciras, enabling Hanjin link its global network to West Africa.
(Source:www.schednet.com)