Maersk to buy slots from Hapag-Lloyd on ECSA Mexico USGC loop

22 Nov 2009

Source:CI Online

Maersk Line has concluded a slot agreement with Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd and will from early December start buying space from the latter carrier on its GS1 service connecting east coast South American ports (ECSA) with the Gulf of Mexico. The GS1 loop is maintained as joint service with Chile's CSAV group.

The deal, which involves an unspecified number of slots, will improve Maersk's service offerings to/from Mexico. In particular, transit times will be cut and overall levels of reliability stepped up in key corridors, such as Veracruz and Mexico City. Previously, traffic carried between ECSA and Mexico City had been routed via Mexico's west coast port of Lazaro Cardenas.

'It is not a new product,' declared, Erik Bo Hansen, director general middle America, 'but the deal allows Maersk to regain access to the important Veracruz market for imports from South America as well as exports to the US, Latin America, Asia and Europe.'

In the case of cargo exchanges between Mexico and Europe and Asia, the port of Caucedo in the Dominican Republic will be used by Maersk as the initial and main relay point.

Maersk has not been involved in the Europe/Mexico/Europe trade for a while and although this agreement presents it with new opportunities, several of its largest competitors, including Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, MSC and NYK already have direct call options.

Maersk will market its new service under the Gulf Express label and its full itinerary will comprise: Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio Grande, Navegantes, Santos, Caucedo, Veracruz, Houston, New Orleans, Caucedo, Suape, Santos and return to Buenos Aires.

A fleet of 8 x 2,800/4,300TEU ships are deployed with Hapag-Lloyd operating seven of them and CSAV a single unit.