Senator Lines affirms its Med/Canada trade commitment
Despite the continued downturn in US import demand, and the possibility Canada may also be feeling the pinch, Senator Lines has affirmed its commitment to the Mediterranean/Canada trade through the newly-signed charter of the 2,130 teu Pacific Bridge from Danaos Shipping, which is to renamed Montreal Senator and phased into the Med/Canada Loop A service from late May.
Montreal Senator replaces the 2,016 teu Canada Senator, which has operated on the loop for seven years, but importantly upgrades schedule integrity by offering some two knots improved service speed
Loop A is operated with two vessels each from Senator Lines and Hapag-Lloyd, while Loop B deploys four Hapag-Lloyd vessels with Senator Lines taking slots
Loop A port coverage: Gioia Tauro, Genoa, Salerno, Fos, Montreal, Gioia Tauro
Loop B port coverage: Livorno, Valencia, Montreal, Livorno
Senator sources confirm that the new charter with its service speed of 20 knots, will help maintain schedules and transit times that have become increasingly susceptible to ongoing port congestion problems experienced in western Mediterranean ports.
Trades such as the Med/Canada route are comparatively low profile compared with those offering direct calls on the US East coast, and transshipment capabilities to cover the Toronto/Montreal market by rail network.
However, Senator sources argue several days transit are saved through the direct Canada service it offers in partnership with Hapag-Lloyd, and savings are also made via skipping US terminal handling charges faced by lines connecting over the USEC.
Based on the belief that time is critical in this particular trade route, Senator Lines is offering a Gioia Tauro to Montreal transit of 13 days on Loop A, and Montreal to Gioia Tauro in 11 days, and according to PR News Service database, around three days faster than transshipment over the USEC.
Latest figures we have, is that while westbound volumes Med/Canada have remained stable over the last two years, an eastbound growth of some 5% was recorded 2006 on 2005, and last year the eastbound growth rate was doubled.