Seago, the intra-European service arm of Maersk Line, and Izmir-based Arkas Shipping, are to cooperate in a new service connecting the eastern Mediterranean with ports in the Black Sea. The move will allow the two operators to deploy much larger ships in the trade and enjoy improved economies of scale.
Hapag-Lloyd has been signed up to help fill the space.
Sailings will commence on 5 July from the Egyptian port of Damietta, and the two carriers will use 5,500-6,000 TEU ships. Previously, vessels had loaded approximately 1,700 TEU. Seago will operate three ships and Arkas a single chartered-in unit.
The four ships will be deployed on a weekly service that includes calls at Port Said, Ashdod, Damietta, Port Said, Istanbul (Ambarli), Constantza, Odessa, Illyichevsk, Novorossiysk, Constantza, Ambarli and returning to Port Said.
The service will carry a mix of feeder and local import/export cargo, with Damietta and Port Said both offering transhipment opportunities for carriers engaged on long-haul east-west trades. Cargo exchanges between Egypt and Israel have benefitted from the trade sanctions that have been in place between the EU and Russia for about two years and were recently extended.
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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the June 2016 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 11. To access this issue download the PDF here.
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