29-Nov-2001

[29 November 2001 – Hong Kong] COSCO Container Lines today launched its new direct line-haul service between Xiamen and Europe following the inaugural call of MV “COSCO Antwerp” at Xiamen International Container Terminals (XICT).

The new Xiamen-Europe line comprises a fleet of eight container vessels of 3,000-6,000 TEU capacity. MV “COSCO Antwerp” measures 280 metres in length, 40 metres in breadth and has a capacity of 5,446 TEU. The vessels berth at XICT every Thursday and run on a port rotation of Yantian, Hong Kong, via Singapore and Suez Canal to Europe ports of Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp; while return via Singapore, Hong Kong to Shanghai, Qingdao and Xiamen Haicang Port.

“At present, XICT has been serving six international container services, connecting to more than forty ports around the world,” said Mr. Patrick Lam, General Manager of XICT. “We will continue to dedicate excellent service to our customers in return for their support.”

Apart from the new COSCO service, XICT will also receive MV “NYK Starlight”, a vessel of the Grand Alliance’s JCX service on 30th November 2001. The JCX service, comprising a fleet of six container vessels of 3,000 TEU capacity, is an adjustment of deployment in transpacific trade by the Grand Alliance during the winter months. Xiamen has been added on the port rotation, which now includes Xiamen, Shanghai, Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo, Sendai, Los Angeles, Oakland, Vancouver and Seattle. The entire voyage takes a far shorter period of 23 days.

Mr. Alfred Leung, General Manager of Hutchison Delta Ports (HDP) commented, “Haicang Port is a natural deep-water port with a major industrial area nearby. More and more global shipping lines have chosen XICT as their direct ports of call in China. We will continue to contribute to Xiamen’s importance as an international shipping centre in China.”