Swire and Rickmers form partnership in India and Middle East

Jun.12--SWIRE Shipping and Rickmers-Linie have announced a partnership to provide a monthly multipurpose service with lifting capacity of up to 120 tonnes.

Swire will now be able to connect its breakbulk and project cargo in India and the Middle East, through Rickmers-Linie's Middle East and India Service, and to its network in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, via Singapore.

The first voyage was scheduled to depart Mumbai on June 9, the first voyage from Jebel Ali being on June 28. 

Loading ports are Jebel Ali, Mumbai, Chennai, Dammam, Kolkata (others on inducement). Destination ports, via Singapore, are Papua New Guinea, Solomons, New Caledonia, Fiji, Australian east coast, Darwin, East Timor and New Zealand. 

"This collaboration with Rickmers-Linie allows Swire to provide another shipping solution for multipurpose cargo needs," said Swire Shipping commercial chief William Arblaster. 

"It enhances our network coverage by providing a regular breakbulk service out of India and the Middle East into the South Pacific region," he said. 

Said Rickmers-Linie sales chief Gerhard Janssen: "Since our vessels from Europe to the Middle East and India continue to Singapore, this cooperation offers an increased range of destinations and loading ports on offer for customers of both Swire Shipping and Rickmers-Linie."

Swire Shipping is the liner shipping division of The China Navigation Company (CNCo),N the deep-sea shipping arm of the multinational Swire Group.