The service will have fortnightly calls with three vessels with an average capacity of 1,100 TEU's and 150 reefer plugs. Maersk Sealand call the new service SAWA DIRECT while Safmarine do it as WASADI (West Africa - South America DIrect).

"We are responding to the wishes of those of our customers who need a fast and direct link between West Africa and the East Coast of South America. Now it's here," says Karsten Kildahl, Vice President for Maersk Sealand's liner services in Europe and Africa."Many of our customers trade globally so this new service really strengthens their existing global distribution networks and it also creates opportunities for them to capture new, unexplored markets on either side of the South Atlantic."

According to Safmarine's Regional Executive for the Americas, Jens T. Norgaard, "The service has been introduced in response to the growing trade between these two regions. Safmarine sees significant potential for growth in this trade, particularly with regard to reefer shipments.

The first vessel will be leaving Itajai on 13 March 2004 and call the following ports: Itajai - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Rio Grande - Walvis Bay - Lobito - Luanda - Pointe Noire - Libreville - Apapa - Abidjan and back to Itajai.

The additional West African ports served via transshipment include: Tincan Island, Tema and Douala (via Abidjan); Cotonou and Lome (via Walvis Bay); and Matadi (via Pointe Noire). Cargo for the South African ports of Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth will be transshipped in Walvis Bay.

From South America, feedering from Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Paranagua via the River Plate completes the extensive coverage.

Safmarine, which is a separately-managed member of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, markets its liner shipping services independently from those of sister-company Maersk Sealand.