September 26, 2001

East Coast South America Services Consolidate In Charleston

The members of the East Coast United States/East Coast South America Vessel Sharing Agreement have realigned their three loops into two, both calling the Port of Charleston.

The move allows for the replacement of 11 smaller ships with six new 3,800-TEU ships.

Members of the "ECUS/ECSA VSA" are:

  • Maersk Sealand; P&O Nedlloyd;
  • Hamburg-Sud subsidiaries, Alianca Navegacao & Logistica
    Ltd, Columbus Line and Crowley American Transport;
  • along with Compania Sud Americana de Vapores and its subsidiary Companhia
    Libra de Navega??o. Safmarine also has joined
    the service.

The revised port rotations for the proposed services are:

  • String 1:

Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore,
Norfolk, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, Suape, Rio de Janeiro,
Santos, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Santos, Rio de Janeiro,
Suape (fortnightly), Fortaleza (fortnightly) and Philadelphia.

  • String 2:

Norfolk, New York, Charleston,
Jacksonville, Freeport, Miami, Puerto Cabello, Santos, Paranagua,
Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos, Salvador, Puerto Cabello, Freeport
and Norfolk.

Port coverage remains largely the same, with only Savannah in the U.S. no longer being served direct.