P&O Nedlloyd is expected to start an independent weekly service next May between Northern Europe and the East Coast of South America.Container Line will use seven 1.600 TEU capacity vessels on a fixed day schedule. Ports of call, almost similar to the ones today called by the VSA3 Joint Service, are expected to be Tilbury - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Le Havre - Santos - Paranagua - Buenos Aires - Rio Grande - Itajai - Santos - Salvador proceeding it's northbound leg.

Bilbao, Lisbon and Recife could be called southbound every two weeks; while Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon with the same frequency northbound.

P&O Nedlloyd plan to end in May its present participation as member of the consortium VSA3, a Joint service consisting today of of P&O Nedlloyd, CSAV, Montemar, Contship; and slot charterers Senator and NYK. This service is using today in the trade 6 vessels with a capacity of 2.400 TEU each.

P&O Nedlloyd is today part of the Conference between NWC and East Coast of South América together with following lines: Alianca, CMA CGM, Contship, CSAV, Libra, Hapag Lloyd, Hamburg Sud, Maersk Sealand, Montemar, NYK, SCL and Senator

Reasons for leaving the VSA 3 joint service should be concerns about this service, an schedule integrity not 100 per cent smooth, frequency fluctuations.

P&O Nedlloyd General Agent in Argentina is Agencia Marítima Dodero S.A.