Shipping News N.Z. FIRM INTO ASIAN LINE

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 14

Shipping News N.Z. FIRM INTO ASIAN LINE

Conventional shipping on the Far East trade is still going fullahead — at least this is the view of one New Zealand company which Is prepared to put its money where its mouth is. G. H. Scales announced yesterday tliat it had bought a shareholding—believed to be 25 per cent—in Sofrana Far East Lines. The line was set up earlier this

year in direct competition with the major New Zealand-Far East shipping conference lines, offering lower freight rates and promising a more regular service.

There are two other partners in the line — New Victory Company of Hong Kong, the major shareholder, and Sofrana New Guinea, Ltd. Scales will be the junior partner.

It is the first time foi’ many years that Scales ventured into the Far East trade.

-At the moment the line offers a six-weekly service, using chartered vessels, linking Lyttelton, Tauranga and Auckland with Singapore. Bangkok, Manila and Hong Kong. The service has started just at a time when Canterbury importers and exporters have been expressing dissatisfaction with the Far East conference lines for continuing to show preference for Port Chalmers as a container port. The conference lines say the need to rail containers overland from Port Chalmers to Christchurch has not affected freight rates to the Far East, but Canterbury interests have threatened to find alternative shippers who can be relied upon to use Lyttelton.

This may auger well for the Sofrana Far East Line. So far it has had three ships on the run since February', and Scales says each sailing has been fully committed. ARRIVALS Nil. DEPARTURES Nil. EXPECTED ARRIVALS Coastal Ranger, Wellington, to-1 day. Timaru Star, Wellington, June I Captain Cook, from sea. June 12. i President Magsaysay, Auckland,: June 12. I Vang Tse. Auckland. June 12. I Luka Botic. Dunedin. June 12. i Coastal Ranger, Wellington, June 12. Coastal Trader, Auckland, June I 13. !Post Champion, from sea, June ' 14. | Union Lyttelton, Dunedtn. June 14. Retla Dawn, Christinas Island, June 15. PROJECTED DEPARTURES Coastal Ranger, Wellington, today. Snaarrekerk. Bluff. June 11. Coastal Trader. Dunedin, June 13. Coastal Ranger, Wellington, June I Union Lyttelton, Wellington,! June 14. , 'Silver Waves. Nanier. June 14. i Wakaosan Maru, June 14. ! Holmdale. Chatham Island, today. ( Post Champion, for sea, June 14. VESSELS IN PORT Laurentic, Cashin Quay No. 1. Silver Waves, Cashin Quay No. 2. Wakaosan Maru. No. 2 East. Holmdale. No. 3/East. Snaarnikerk. No. 3 West. _ Union Auckland, No. 6 est Vlshva Vikas, No. 7 East. f Wild Fulmar, No. 7 >. esc