Maersk Line improves Asia-Europe services

Maersk Line announced that it wil improve Asia - Europe network, which will be launched in April 2007.

Peter Frederiksen, Senior Vice President in Maersk Line said ?ogether with our customers we regularly review our services, amongst others due to new and changing trading patterns and an ever increasing global trade. Thereby we can continue to offer our customers new opportunities and support them in benefiting from globalisation?

Maersk said that its new Asia - Europe network will offer exporters and importers more direct calls and enhanced transit times, especially between North/East China and Europe. An example is Shanghai to Bremerhaven in 21 days which will provide our customers with the best transit time in that market.

?o support the improvements and accommodate the expected market growth of 15% on the westbound trade we will increase our capacity by 13% during 2007, primarily through deployment of larger tonnage? said Peter Frederiksen.

The restructured Asia - Europe network will also feature enhanced coverage of the markets in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Maersk Line will dedicate 2 services to these markets with direct calls in Istanbul (Turkey), Piraeus and Thessaloniki (Greece), Constantza (Romania) and Ilychevesk (Ukraine).

EMMA MAERSK and her sister vessels (the PS-class) will be deployed in the AE7 service, which connects East and South China to our hub in Algeciras (Spain) and the Northern European markets.