MAERSK TO JOIN EUROPE/AFRICA CONSORTIUM SAECS

    Maersk Line said that it expects to joint the Southern Africa Europe Container Service consortium.
    The move follows the acquisition by Maersk, a non-conference carrier in the Europe/South Africa trade, of Safmarine Container Lines, a principal carrier within the SAECS conference consortium.
    The members of the SAECS consortium – Safmarine Container Lines, Deutsche Afrika Linien, Ellerman Harrison Container Line and P&O Nedlloyd – operate a direct weekly service in the northern Europe/southern Africa trade. Maersk runs a transshipment operation via Algeciras that will be replaced by the joint consortium service.
    Maersk recently also stopped its non-conference Asia/South Africa service to join the Safari consortium and the conference in that trade.