Tokyo: The Grand Alliance has announced today that high Suez Canal (pictured) toll fees "are difficult for carriers to afford in the current economic environment", leading its member carriers to re-route all eastbound EU3 service vessels around the Cape of Good Hope with immediate effect, instead of transiting the canal.
The alliance, made up by members have led its members Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), has said that it will consider re-routing more services if the overall economic situation does not improve.
Port rotation of EU3 remains the same: Southampton - Hamburg - Rotterdam - Port Klang - Singapore - Shekou - Hong Kong - Ningbo - Shanghai, with an extra seven days added to the schedule due to the diversion. 10 ships of 8,000teu are operating on the service. [23/02/09]
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