[ Blue Star Line to Join ANSCON Service ]

Blue Star Line (Asia) is to join the ANSCON service from February 1999
, following the ending of its current agreement with Maersk. As an int
erim arrangement, Blue Star Line will purchase slots on the weekly ANS
CON service, prior to becoming a full member of the Consortium later i
n the year when the ANSCON service is enhanced.
During the interim period, Blue Star Line will continue to cover its e
xisting port range(Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Yokohama, Osaka, Busan
and China via transhipment) and will offer a more comprehensive range
of Ports within the future enhanced ANSCON service.
Blue Star Line will not participate as a pooling member within ANSCON.

Through joining the same consortium as its sister company, P&O swire(b
oth companies owned by P&O Nedlloyd), Blue Star will continue to opera
te as a completely separate entity, with its own offices in Sydney, Me
lbourne and Brisbane and existing overseas agencies in Japan, Korea an
d China. There will be no change to the high level of personel, servic
e currently provided to customers.
The new services will take effect from the eastbound sailing of the So
uthern Cross Maru from Yokohama on 12 February 1999. This provides Blu
e Star Line’s customers with a seamless transition from the current w
eekly service.
“Bule Star line is pleased to end speculation about its future direct
ion, since the announcement of the discontinuation of the VSA with Mae
rsk was made in October 1998. Our main objective was to continue to pr
ovide our clients a quality, fixed day weekly schedule in continuation
from our current service,with the minimum disruption. The arrangement
with ANSCON meets that objective, with the potential for future growt
h into additional makers”said Blue Star Line’s General Manager, Sean
Barrett.