Safmarine, MOL, Deutsche Afrika-Linien and Maersk Line, members of the SAECS vessel-sharing agreement in the Europe-Southern Africa trade, will add a seventh ship to the "SAECS Core Service".

The additional vessel, the Lica Maersk, has the same specifications as the other specialised reefer ships on the service and will be deployed on November 11.

The addition of a seventh vessel is aimed at meeting service levels expected by exporters and importers, Safmarine said in a statement issued to the trade.

Safmarine's South Africa trades executive Alex de Bruyn said: "The partner lines in the Europe-South Africa trade have made a substantial investment in acquiring an additional vessel to ensure all our customers - including fruit exporters - receive a more reliable service during the peak season."

The current port rotation will remain unchanged, Safmarine added.

NYK Logistics (China) upgrades Dalian, Suzhou, Ningbo offices

ADDRESSING China's ever-diversifying transport needs, NYK Logistics (China), a wholly owned subsidiary of NYK Group, is upgrading its Dalian, Suzhou and Ningbo representative offices into operational bases.

NYK recently received authorisation from the government Administration of Industry and Commerce to actively engage in logistics operations from these major cities, a company statement said.

NYK Logistics will now have 16 business footholds in China, a Shanghai head office and branch offices in Tianjin, Qingdao, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Dalian, Suzhou and Ningbo. Representative offices will also operate in Shenyang, Nanjing, Wuxi, Nantong, Wuhan, Xiangfan and Beijing.

The new branch offices are located in Dalian, Room 2202, Liaoning Times Building, 7 Gangwan Street, Zhongshan District, 116001; on the 4th Floor of the Waiyun Building, 748 Chang Jiang Road, New District, Suzhou, 215129 and on the 7th Floor, Xin Yuan Hotel Office Building, No 188 Jie Fang Road (south), Ningbo, 315000.

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) Group operates 740 ocean vessels, as well as planes, trains, and trucks. The fleet includes 140 containerships, 270 bulk carriers, 50 wood-chip carriers, 110 car carriers, 25 reefer carriers, 70 tankers, 20 LNG carriers and three cruise ships. NYK's revenue in 2006 was US$18 billion and the group employs 48,000 worldwide at 240 locations in 27 countries.