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Ports of Auckland - Source: NZPA / Mike Millet -
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Ports of Auckland expects to be a net winner from a change in shipping services to North Asia.
A new Hamburg Sud and Cosco/ICS consortium of shipping lines is combing two existing services between New Zealand and North Asia.
Ports of Auckland's chief financial officer Wayne Thompson said that container volumes through the port would benefit from the change.
"Ports of Auckland will be a net winner," Thompson said.
The new service gave the port the opportunity to form a closer relationship with Hamburg Sud and Hapag Lloyd.
Both companies will have cargo on this service coming direct into Auckland, where previously it came through Tauranga, he said.
The new service will use six modern vessels capable of carrying 3,000 to 3,500 TEU, or standard-sized containers.
The service will travel from Auckland to New Plymouth, Nelson, Wellington, Lyttelton, Napier, Tauranga, Tokio, Kobe, Busan, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Brisbane then Auckland. The calls at Nelson and Wellington are fortnightly.
Industry observers said the combined service is a response to difficult market conditions.
The partners in this new consortium have committed to a peak-season extra-loader programme, which will ensure that all refrigerated trade volumes will be adequately accommodated in the export season.
