The Hindu Business Line : OOCL, Emirates, TS Lines tie up for new shipping route

Kolkata, Jan. 22 Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), Emirates Shipping and TS Lines, are jointly introducing from February a new container shipping service linking ports in China to the Straits, West Asia and India, according to shipping industry sources. Both OOCL and TS Lines are registered in Hong Kong while Emirates Shipping in both Hong Kong and Dubai.

The proposed service is to be operated with six ships each of capacity ranging between 2,500 and 3,100 TEUs. Emirates Shipping will offer three vessels, TS Lines two and OOCL one.

The port rotation will be : Shanghai-Xingang-Qingdao-Da Chan Bay- Hong Kong – Singapore – Port Kelang - Colombo – Jebel Ali – Bandar Abbas – Mundra (India) – Port Kelang – Singapore – Hong King – Shanghai. The round trip will take 42 days to complete.

Meanwhile, Emirates Shipping on Tuesday announced its participation in the Mediterranean India Express (MIX) service being operated by United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) linking major ports of the Indian sub-continent and the West Mediterranean coast via West Asia.

The MIX service provides connection to Italy, Spain and France with direct call to La Spezia from the Indian sub-continent and the Middle east. The port coverage also extends to Barcelona, Valencia and Fos from La Spezia. India’s Pipavav port in Gujarat is also served directly on this service , catering to the reefer market and cargoes from north-western India to the West Mediterranean.

The port rotation is : Port Qasim (Karachi) – Pipavav – Nhava Sheva – Dubai – Jeddah – Malta – La Spezia – Fos – Barcelona – Valencia – Genoa – Jeddah – Khorfakkan – Port Qasim.