[ NEW ‘ALL-IN’ CONTRACTS INSULATE ANERA CUSTOMERS ]

Customers shipping freight from Asia to the U.S. no longer need face t
he pricing uncertainty of fluctuating currency and fuel surcharges, th
anks to a new service contracts feature adopted by the Asia North Amer
ica Eastbound Rate Agreement (ANERA).
ANERA member lines now offer service contracts with a single, flat ‘a
ll-in’rate that folds in ancillary charges and surcharges. That singl
e rate is, in turn, fixed for the duration of the contract unless adju
sted according to schedule under the contract terms on amended by mutu
al agreement. The new, simpler contracts are designed to help shippers
and consignees more easily and predictably plan their ocean transport
ation costs for the year.
“We’re in a new market environment,” explained ANERA managing direc
tor Brian M. Conrad.“At one time customers wanted transparency, to se
e surcharges broken out from base rate to better understand what they
were paying for. Now that they are familiar with our surcharges, what
they want most is simplicity - one predictable rate, locked in over ti
me. Our new contracts provide that.”
Conrad added that a flat all-in rate will streamline contract negotiat
ions and reduce paperwork burdens for member lines in calulating and c
ollecting freight charges for a wide range of markets, commodities and
contracts.
More than half of the cargo carried by ANERA member line vessels typic
ally moves under service contracts. Flexible start dates, rate and ser
vice terms tailored to each specific customer and other new features h
ave led the Agreement to sign more than 120 contracts so far for the 1
996~97 years.
ANERA is a ratemaking group of 10 ocean and intermodal transportation
companies serving the trade from Asia - except Japan - to port and inl
and locations throughout the U.S.
ANERA carriers offer shippers and consignees the most extensive choice
of equipment, routes and schedules under a single common tariff in th
e trans-Pacificrade.
ANERA members include American President Lines, Ltd; Hapag-Lloyd AG, K
awasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Ltd; A.P. Moller-Maersk Line; Mitsui O.
S.K. Lines, Ltd; Nedlloyed Linjen BV; Neptune Orient Lines; Nippon Yus
en Kaisha (N.Y.K Line); Orient Overseas Container Line, Inc; and Sea-L
and Service, Inc.