As from last monday October 1, 2001, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line will begin marketing their joint NYKNOS South America service separately, using instead their well-established individual brand names.Although the NYKNOS brand name will be discontinued, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line will continue to cooperate in the operations management of the service. The scope and profile of the service will remain unchanged. The two organizations will still continue to support one another's vessels as they do today. The vessels deployed in the service have capacity for approximately 5,000 automobiles and call the major ports on both coasts of South America with regular frequency.

In a joint statement, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line have said, "The decision to discontinue the NYKNOS brand name and market the service separately under the recognized brand names of Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line makes good sense for our customers. It simplifies the marketplace by reducing the number of brand identities. Furthermore, the space-sharing agreement will allow for simpler and more efficient operating procedures, which will translate into better service for our customers."

Established in 1994, NYKNOS operated as a joint service between Wallenius Wilhelmsen and NYK Line to and from North and South America for cars, Ro-Ro, and non-container cargo such as project cargo and machinery. NYK Line and NOSAC (Norwegian Specialized Auto Carriers) made up the original alliance. NOSAC was acquired by Wilhelmsen Lines in 1996 and in 1999 the operating activities of Wilhelmsen Lines and Wallenius Lines merged to form Wallenius Wilhelmsen.