Maersk Sealand launches container service in Inchon

Danish Maersk Sealand, the No. 1 container carrier in the world, commenced a new container service in the Port of Inchon.

According to Maersk Korea, the 543 TEU ?Hansewall?departed for Kaohsiung from Inchon, loaded with around 100 TEU of cargoes. Maersk Sealand?s Inchon container service is offered on a weekly basis as a shuttle between Inchon and Kaohsiung, leaving from Inchon every Sunday and arriving in Kaohsiung three days later. As a huge container dedicated terminal for Maersk Sealand is located there, every cargo, except those bound for the Americas, can use transit services there for their final destinations.

?This service was introduced to lessen high logistic costs for metropolitan area shippers. Whether another vessel is added to the service will be decided upon during the course of the current one,?said a spokesman from Maersk Korea.

Though several associations use Pyoungtaek and other nearby ports due to high logistic costs, those ports have had relatively low usage except for China bound cargoes. Consequently, the new Maersk Sealand service may affect some of those other domestic container liner services running out of the smaller ports.

In the mean while, Korea Express decided assume responsibility for stevedoring and transportation of Maersk Sealand cargoes in the Port of Inchon.

In its contract, Korea Express is expected to handle 500,000 TEU of cargoes annually and post KRW 36 billion in sales revenue.

An official at Korea Express said that metropolitan areas are responsible for producing nearly 70% of cargoes transported to Pusan and Kwangyang. Opening a new container trade between Inchon and Kaohsiung could save shippers between 40 ?75% in logistic costs, said the official.