Hapag-Lloyd changing Europe/Oceania via Suez loop

Hapag-Lloyd is to make adjustments to its Europe/Oceania via Suez Canal ANS service, including dropping New Zealand calls, from the end of November.

It is also understood that CMA CGM will return to the service after an absence of about 18 months and will contribute six of a total of 12 ships. Neither Hapag-Lloyd nor the French carrier would confirm.

Germany's Hapag-Lloyd said the upcoming changes are being made to enhance its coverage of the Australian market. Additions to the ANS port rotation will include Adelaide, Le Havre, Port Kelang, Chennai and Malta.

At the same time, Hapag-Lloyd will sacrifice direct calls at New Zealand with Auckland, Napier and Port Chalmers all going. Hapag- Lloyd said New Zealand is to be called at with an independent service in future, but didn't reveal any further details at this point.

CMA CGM was previously a vessel provider on the ANS until April/ May 2007. The French carrier's withdrawal was then prompted by the start of its own fortnightly New Europe Mascarene Oceania (NEMO) string. CMA CGM declined to comment whether rejoining the ANS would result in any changes to the NEMO operation.

The two carriers?relationship in the Europe/Oceania trade extends to services moving through the Panama Canal. Hapag-Lloyd takes slots on CMA CGM's fortnightly North Europe/Caribbean/Central America/U.S. East Coast/Oceania Panama Direct (PAD) string. Hapag- Lloyd does not offer space to or from the U.S. ports on this service, which it markets as Oceania (OCE).

The new ANS will operate weekly with 12 vessels capable of carrying 2,800 standard containers with adequate reefer capacity on a rotation of Tilbury, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, La Spezia, Damietta, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Singapore, Port Kelang, Chennai, Colombo, Damietta, Malta, La Spezia and back to Tilbury.

A spokesman for Hapag-Lloyd said it is in talks with existing ANS partner, Marfret, about its future participation on the service.

Hapag-Lloyd said ANS is the only "direct" service from Europe to Australia via the Suez Canal. American Shipper's affiliated global liner database, ComPairData (www.compairdata.com), shows there are two services -- CMA CGM's NEMO and another from Mediterranean Shipping Co. -- that sail the Europe/Australia via Suez route with detours at Indian Ocean ports.

The Hamburg-based carrier said the Europe/Australia/New Zealand market has annual growth rates of 4 percent to 5 percent with container volume expected to exceed 600,000 TEUs by 2009, according to figures from Global Insight. Southbound cargo is chiefly paper, cardboard, cellulose, chemicals and machinery, while mainly food (particularly meat) and beverages (wine) are shipped to Europe, Hapag- Lloyd informed.

Source: American Shipper