| |
|
|
Top lines move to cash in on trade surge
Taiwan's top three lines are on an expansion drive, ordering new vessels, getting into more slot deals with other lines and entering new trade lanes, where they see opportunities for bigger margins. Correspondent Paul Richardson reports Taiwan's three largest shipping lines, Evergreen, Yang Ming and Wan Hai, are all in expansion mode as the global market continues to pick up. The rest of 2010, and next year, looks set to provide container carriers with some positive financial gains from the global trade routes. Evergreen, through its Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine and Panama affiliate Evergreen International SA, is rapidly moving into the containership newbuilding market with plans to order as many 100 vessels in the next few years to cater for the trade upsurge. The newbuilding construction programme kicked off with the confirmation of an order for 10 vessels of 8,000 TEU by the two companies from Korean shipbuilder Samsung. Anticipated delivery dates for these vessels is during 2012/2013. The line has kept options open for trade deployment, because at 8,000 TEUs most major East-West trades will be able to accommodate such capacity on a weekly basis. Evergreen sources also confirm there are discussions going on between Evergreen and Korean shipbuilder STX Offshore and Shipbuilding regarding the construction of a further 12 8,000 TEU vessels for delivery in 2013 and 2014. Evergreen and China Shipping Container Lines are also doing more global vessel and slot sharing deals. Evergreen recently agreed to charter two 8,500 TEU China Shipping vessels, and to operate a new look vessel sharing agreement on the old-style AEX7/FAL2 service previously operated by China Shipping and CMA CGM. Evergreen will deploy the vessels from the end of this month. Yang Ming's approach to the global market downturn in late 2008 and early 2009, did not follow the same path as that of Evergreen, and instead the line moved ahead with plans to order 4,500, 6,200 and 8,200 TEU vessels. But to the company's credit, a revised delivery schedule has been put in place in which much of the capacity will be handed over in 2012 when a more stable market is expected to support a phasing in programme. Yang Ming has also entered two important and fast developing trade lanes, the Asia-Australia and Asia-East Mediterranean conduits, as vessel-sharing partners with two newly-launched services. On the Asia-Australia trade, Yang Ming has joined the China-Korea-Australia (CKA) service as a vessel provider and has lined up with Hanjin, STX Pan Ocean and Sinotrans to provide a weekly service to cover China-Korea and Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. On the Asia-East Mediterranean trade, Yang Ming has become a vessel provider on the newly-launched, Asia-Adriatic Express (AAX) service, along with Hyundai Merchant Marine, Hanjin and United Arab Shipping Company. Wan Hai is launching a similar drive, expanding into areas where the market is continuing to show some improvement. The line has re-launched its Far East Service (FES) with Pacific International Lines (PIL) after dropping the service back in late 2009 when the global downturn kicked in. But importantly, Wan Hai is venturing into new trades in waters never tested before by the Taiwan line. Recently, Wan Hai entered the Asia-South Africa-South America trade through a vessel-sharing partnership and moved into the Asia-East Africa trade through a new service connecting Colombo and Dar-es-Salaam. Elsewhere, the line has become part of a new look vessel-sharing partnership with Hanjin Shipping, covering the Asia-US West Coast trade, and importantly including a direct call in Vietnam at Cai Mep. This recently restructured service also covers Japan, Southeast Asia and southern China.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
