Shipping News

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 14

Shipping News

Belgian tvcoon will

continue project

The Belgian shipping tycoon, Mr Tsvi Rosenfeld, who is connected with Waitaki N.Z. Refrigerating through Maritime Carrier (N.Z.), Ltd, is pushing ahead with a round-the-world service, even though his proposals for cutting freight rates were recently rejected by New Zealand producer boards. His company, ABC Containerline, tried unsuccessfully to woo the New Zealand and Australian wool boards with low freight rates for wool cargoes to Europe. Both boards settled for a threeye?r contract with traditional conference lines, after the contract increased freight charges by only 1.5 per cent. The rates will increase by 3 per cent for the second year of tlie contract and 5 per cent for the final year. The percent ge increases are cumulative, and do not take into account currency adjustments and bunker charges. The freight rate negotiations with the New Zealand European Shipping Association were said to have effectively excluded ABC Containerlines. The Australian ttfdol Corporation was cagey about confirming whether Mr Rosenfeld had been fully excluded, although it had signed a loyalty contract with the conference. No details were available about the terms of the loyalty contract. or what penalties would be faced if the corporation shipped wool with a non-conference line. The Meat Board is also believed to have agreed not to approve Mr Rosenfeld’s line as a carrier of meat exports to the east coast of North America. The Dairy Board has indicated that there is little room for an additional carrier on the North American trade, but more freight negotiations are due in October. ABC Containerline is now reported to be seeking non-oon-tract export cargoes, to include New Zealand in the new round-the-world service. The line will proceed with an SBOM construction programme for new ships, including two 45,000 tonne (deadweight) combined container and roll-on bulk carriers from a Belgian shipyard. Mr Rosenfeld expects substantial financial backing from his Government, and this has apparently been assured in the past. Three different methods of cargo handling in one hull is the unique feature of the new ships, described overseas as revolutionary in the shipping world.