Far East trade with Bremen continues rise
CONTAINER throughput from the Far East rose by 16 per cent at the ports of Bremen-Bremerhaven for the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year, says a port official.
Managing director, sales at Bremer Lagerhaus-Gesellschaft (BLG) Manfred Kuhr said in addition to the three East Asian container services already calling at Bremerhaven, Maersk and P&O would begin a new common service from next month.
''This once-a-week service will connect Bremerhaven with Singapore, Hongkong, and the Middle East,'' Mr Kuhr said. ''We are pleased about this switch from Hamburg to Bremerhaven. Including Maersk/ P&O, 11 container shipping lines now offer regular Far East services in Bremerhaven.
''With the extension of the container terminal in Bremerhaven, which was begun last year, the ports of Bremen-Bremerhaven are well prepared for further growth.'' When the extension is completed in 1996-97, the terminal will provide 10 berths for large container ships at its seaside quay and will cover an area of 2.4 million square metres.
At the same time, the navigation channel into Bremerhaven will be deepened to 14.5 metres.
''With these investments, we are making it clear to shippers that Bremen-Bremerhaven will continue to play an important role as an inter-modal hub for the west, north and east of Europe in the future,'' Mr Kuhr said.
He said the Korean Cho Yang Lines was moving its European main office to Bremen.
In January 1991, Cho Yang joined the Tri-Continental Round-the-World Service offered by the Bremen Senator Lines and last year DSR (Deutsche Seereederei Rostock) became the third partner.
After setting up a branch office of its German shipping line agent EOS (Europa Overseas Schiffsagentur) in Bremen, Cho Yang has now decided to concentrate its business activities in Bremen.
Between 20 and 25 employees will work in the Cho Yang office, and about the same number will work at EOS, which is transferring the greater part of its business from Hamburg to Bremen.
EOS manager Hartmuth Scholz said: ''With this move, Cho Yang is underlining its commitment to the ports of Bremen-Bremerhaven. Our ships have been calling here without interruption since 1979. We decided on Bremen-Bremerhaven because of its function as aEuropean hub.'' Cho Yang now operates 40 bulk carrier, general cargo and container ships, about half of the container ships coming into service within the past four years.
Along with the Round-the-World service (RTW), Cho Yang also offers other services like EMA which connects Korea, Taiwan, Hongkong, Singapore and various ports in the Middle East as well as Italy, France, and Spain.
Other Asian shipping lines such as NOL and OOCL already have established offices in Bremen.
Cho Yang has chosen the ports of Bremen as the European final destination for its transatlantic connections.
Since April this year the PAX container service operated by Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, and NOL has chosen the Bremerhaven container terminal as its only German port of call.
