Swire Announces Rebranding

The China Navigation Co Ltd (CNCo) has announced plans to consolidate the majority of its liner shipping services under a new entity, Swire Shipping Ltd, a new company recently incorporated in the United Kingdom. The service framework and existing network of management offices will not be affected by this change.

Under the new entity, Swire Shipping will become the new brand, meaning that the current brands APIL, Chief Container Service, Crocodile Line, Indotrans, Indotrans Pacific and New Guinea Pacific Line will be retired. The Bank Line will be temporarily retained as a sub-brand before being gradually phased out during the course of 2007. Greater Bali Hai, NGPL Japan South Pacific Line and Tasman Orient Line are not included in this brand rationalisation due to separate shareholding structures, and will continue to trade under their current names. The establishment of Swire Shipping Ltd will complete Swire's global service integration project which, since 2003, has seen the acquisition of Indotrans and The Bank Line, and the introduction of several new trades. In 2004-05 Swire Shipping launched two new services: Indotrans Pacific, linking key Australian east coast and New Zealand ports with ports on the west coast of Canada and the United States; and Indotrans Asia, linking Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea with the South Pacific Islands.