Yang Ming ?09 container loss hits $563 million

Yang Ming Æ09 container loss hits $563 million    Taiwan-based container line Yang Ming said it incurred an operating loss of $563 million in 2009, a huge increase from the $13 million loss the container business saw in 2008.
   Overall, the line had an operating loss of $541 million as its tramp business, which accounts for about 5 percent of total business, saw a profit of $22 million.
   Yang Ming joins a long list of major carriers who sunk deep into the red in 2009. Its revenue, including the tramp business, plummeted 35.5 percent to $2.8 billion.
   The carrier did not release information on its container volume for 2009. According to the maritime news service Alphaliner, it is the 17th-largest container line by fleet capacity.