MSC restarts Far East-Australasia Service as rates head north

GENEVA : As Far East-Australia rates have been going up, Mediterranean Shipping Company will
relaunch the North Asia-ANZ Wallaby Service.

The service connects Hong Kong, Yantian, Xiamen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Sydney, Melbourne,
Auckland, Bluff, Lyttelton, Wellington, Napier, Tauranga, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Hong
Kong.

The first sailing will see the 2,732 TEU MSC Tania depart Hong Kong. The service is expected to turn in 10 weeks and will deploy 10 ships of 2,700 to 5,000 TEUs.

So far, Far East-Australia rates have bucked the trend of a correction in long-haul rates.
Rates now hover around US$1,800 per TEU up from US$1,400 per TEU in July. Linerlytica stated that Far East-Australia rates are enjoying a mini rally as capacity rationalisation on the Australia routes has kept space tight.

With the reintroduction of the North Asia-ANZ Wallaby service, MSC will withdraw the
Capricorn and Kiwi services from 20 August, with the last Capricorn sailing by the 4,253 TEU MSC Manu at Singapore and the last Kiwi sailing by the 2,824 TEU AS California at Laem Chabang.

The Capricorn service called at Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Jakarta, Fremantle, Adelaide,
Melbourne, Bluff, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Napier, Tauranga, Tanjung Pelepas using seven
ships of 2,400 to 5,000 TEU.

The Kiwi service called at Laem Chabang, Singapore, Jakarta, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland,
Nelson, Wellington, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, Brisbane, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore and
Laem Chabang.

Southeast Asia connections to Australia and New Zealand will be covered by transhipment
in Singapore, with further relays at Sydney for connections to New Zealand which will be
provided by the revised Noumea Express service that will add new calls at Tauranga and
Nelson with the full rotation revised to call at Sydney, Brisbane, Noumea, Suva, Lautoka,
Nelson, Tauranga, Sydney, Bell Bay, and Sydney.