Rickmers-Linie is launching a Westbound Round-The-World Service, connecting areas of economic growth in Asia and South America and then on to North America.
The America-Asia westbound service established in 2006 now forms a part of this new service.
The Hamburg-based specialist in the worldwide ocean transportation of breakbulk, heavy lifts and project cargoes announced the decision on the first day of the Breakbulk China 2013 event in Shanghai.
Ulrich Ulrichs, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Rickmers-Linie, said: "Having introduced our Round-The-World Pearl String Service with an eastbound rotation ten years ago, we are convinced that the time to start up a similar concept in the other direction has now come. This move further confirms our commitment to, and trust in, the Asian and South American markets.”
Two or three chartered multipurpose heavy lift vessels will launch the service. The first vessel, Huanghai Glory, was built in China in 2012 and has a lifting capacity of up to 160 tonnes and a deadweight of 28,300 tonnes. The second vessel is expected to enter service in May 2013, with the arrival of the third vessel to be announced at a later stage. Rickmers-Linie plans to run the service on a monthly schedule in the future.
Ports which will receive calls on this service will include: Yokohama, Masan, Xingang, Shanghai, Singapore, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Vitoria, Philadelphia, Savannah and Houston.
On her first voyage in the new service for Rickmers-Linie, Huanghai Glory is scheduled to call at Bayuquan, Xingang, Dalian, Shanghai, Kaohsiung, Punta Quilla, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Vitoria and Suape.