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Hapag
Lloyd, the leading German liner
operator has reiterated that it
would maintain Port Klang as a
regional transshipment hub in its
growing network of services in the
region.
“We
are very confident that Port Klang
will continue to contribute to our
fast growing volume of traffic
handled by the entire group,” the
managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd
SEA, Dr Ralf Lisch.
He
said the line is very confident to
handle 120,000 TEUs in the new year
despite the global slowdown.
According
to Dr Lisch, Hapag-Lloyds has been
growing much faster than the growth
of global liner trade.
The
global liner trade grew at an
average of one to two per cent last
year but the German line recorded
eight per cent growth.
“With
the consistent support given by our
shippers we are also very optimistic
to handle 50,000 TEUs of
transshipment traffic from the
region,” he added.
“We
are committed to Port Klang at which
we have a total of seven dedicated
service per week to and from Port
Klang,” Dr Lish said.
Hapag
Lloyds offers at Port Klang three
sailings per week to North Europe
(Loop B, C and D), three sailings to
Mediterranean (loop M, D and E) and
one service to Asia North America
West Coast from Port Klang.
“We
are also serving intra Asia ports as
part of mainline service. The vessel
is jointly deployed with MISC, OOCL,
NYK and P&O Nedlloyd under the
banner of Grand Alliance," said
Dr Lisch.
The
shipping line rates Malaysian market
as much stronger than other markets
in the region.
“The
fundamental of Malaysian economy
remains strong and this will help to
sustain our and position. For this
reason shifted our head office for
South East Asia four years ago to
Kuala Lumpur. This was a far-sighted
decision that we have never
regretted," stressed Dr Lisch
who was in charge for ten countries
under the SAE operation namely
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand,
Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei,
Myanmar and Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile,
as a reflection of its confidence in
Port Klang, Hapag Lloyds has
deployed the largest containership
afloat in the world, the 7,506 TEUs
capacity Hamburg Express to the
leading Malaysian port.
The
giant vessel serves the direct Asia
Europe eastbound service or loop D
operated jointly by members of the
Grand Alliance (consisting of
Malaysian International Shipping
Corporation, P&O Nedlloyd,
Oversea Orient Container Line and
NYK).
The
full rotation of eastbound service
is Port Klang, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Hong
Kong, Southampton, Hamburg,
Rotterdam, Malta and Port Klang.
Dr
Lisch was unperturbed about the
injection of such large vessels in
the midst of the global
slow-down.
“Our
forecast shows that Hapag-Lloyd will
need additional capacity from 2004.
As such the delivery of additional
three more newbuilding will raise
total Hapag-Lloyd handling to more
than 2 million TEUs from present 1.7
million TEUs globally,” he told
NST.
He
said the company, which has reported
spectacular results of 2001, is
expecting a slower growth than the
global growth due to the lower
freight rates.
He
agreed the freight rates in the
Asia-Europe trade lane are down by
US$500 per TEU in the last one
year.
“However,
there is no complaints over the
volume and as such we need to
continue with our long term capacity
and investment strategy,” said Dr
Lisch.
With
the vessels now on order, by spring
2004 Hapag-Lloyd fleet will comprise
37 units, including 18 identical
ships with 4,900 TEUs capacity, as
well as the eight new buildings
capable of 6,750 TEUs or 7,500 TEUs
carrying capacity.
Hapag-Lloyds
provides over 40 services a week to
all the world's main business
centres. They include 16 departures
a week to Asia/Australia (including
the Middle East), 12 to North
America, 10 on the Pacific between
America and Asia and 5 between
Europe and South America.
Meanwhile,
in Bonn, the German shipping and
logistics group Hapag-Lloyd
announced that it has achieved
“the best year ever” results in
its 155-year history.
Its
outgoing chief executive Bernd Wrede
said the downward trend in world
trade hit the company, but not as
hard as others.
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