Bill Mongelluzzo | Mar 13, 2010 2:05PM EST
The Containership Company, a new Norwegian-registered liner company, will make its first U.S. call May 3 at the TraPac Container Terminal in Los Angeles.
The launching of a new trans-Pacific service following the worst year in the 50-year history of the container shipping industry is an indication the 2009 global trade recession is drawing to a close.
“This year has started off on an encouraging note in terms of our container volumes, and it’s equally encouraging to see a container line entering into the market with the knowledge base and focus that TCC has,” said Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
The company is launching into a market roiled lately by volatile pricing and tight capacity. Along with relatively low vessel pricing, the conditions are ripe for new entrants, officials at TCC say.
Jakob Tolstrup-Moller, CEO of the startup, calls the new trans-Pacific service a “no-frills port-to-port service” that will link China’s vast inland manufacturing base with consumers in the U.S. market.
The Taicang Dragon will depart the Port of Taicang, about 40 miles northwest of Shanghai, April 17 and is to arrive in Los Angeles on May 3. Each of the vessels in the weekly service will have a capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 TEUs.
The company’s management team has an average of more than 25 years in container shipping. Its equipment fleet and flow is outsourced to Eagle Hill Management, and Norton Lilly International will serve as the line’s global agency.
Related Video:
Video: Franck Kayser, The Containership Co.
