Evergreen and Maersk Sealand enter slot charter agreement to target North Asia/Canada

Executives from Maersk Sealand and Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) have announced the filing of a slot exchange agreement with the Federal Maritime Commission.
The twelve-month agreement provides Maersk Sealand with space on Evergreen’s weekly WAE service calling Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Osaka, Tokyo and Hakata to/from Tacoma, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, henceforth called Maersk Sealand’s "Canadian Transpacific Service".
In return, Evergreen will be provided with space on Maersk Sealand’s weekly MECL service via the Suez Canal between Colombo, Sri Lanka and Nhava Sheva, India, and Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Arnold Wang, Executive Vice President of the Corporate Business Division of Evergreen Marine Corporation, noted:
"The efficient use of oceanborne tonnage and co-operation between carriers will provide built-in economies that will best serve our customers. We look forward to the success of this relationship."
Craig Mygatt, Director of Maersk Sealand’s Pacific Eastbound Service, stated:
"Direct calls in Vancouver, Canada will significantly enhance our service portfolio to the Canadian market. Our customers are driving this decision."
The new service offerings are scheduled to begin in mid June 2002 pending FMC approval.
Maersk Sealand is the container shipping division of the A P Moller Group with headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, employing 10,000 people in more than 325 offices in 100 countries.
Evergreen Marine Corporation (Taiwan) operates some 150 vessels as the container shipping arm of the Evergreen Group, a major international organisation also active in port operations, aviation, road transport, hotels and a variety of service-oriented companies.