Press release -
New direct deep sea service between Sweden and China
A new direct deep sea service to the Far East for Swedish import and export industry has been announced. The new service will include a weekly call to the Port of Gothenburg, commencing on April 18.
Claes Sundmark, Sales Director at the Port of Gothenburg said: "We have worked for several years to attract more direct calls for Swedish industry to key markets in the Far East. This news is extremely welcome and very positive."
The new route has emerged from a newly established alliance, G6. The alliance is made up of APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, MOL (Mitsui O.S.K Lines), Hapag-Lloyd AG, NYK (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) and OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line).
The new route is: Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Singapore – Tangier – Rotterdam – Bremerhaven – Gothenburg – Rotterdam – Jeddah – Singapore – Shekou – Hong Kong – Shanghai.
The vessels will call at APM Terminals Gothenburg – the Port of Gothenburg container terminal – once a week commencing on April 18. The first vessel to arrive will be the 320 metre-long APL Finland with a capacity of 8,110 TEU.
Imports will be mainly consumer goods, such as clothes, electronics and furniture. Exports will include automotive parts, sawn wood products, industrial components, steel and paper.
Magnus Kårestedt, Port of Gothenburg Chief Executive said:"APM Terminals in Gothenburg is the only container terminal in Sweden that can handle vessels of this size. Major investments have been made in cranes, hinterland connections, terminal areas and fairways to make this possible."
Up to now, Sweden has had one direct service to the Far East – Maersk Line, which calls the Port of Gothenburg once a week with its very largest container vessels. From next week, there will two competing alternatives. The Port of Gothenburg now has seven direct deep sea services in total.
For further information, please contact Cecilia Carlsson, Corporate Communication Manager, Port of Gothenburg, phone +46 31 731 22 45.
Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic region with 11,000 visits by vessels each year. One-third of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg as well as 65 per cent of all container traffic.
The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world's largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe. The 26 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.
