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DESPITE
a slowdown in the second half of 2014, intra-Asia
remains the world's fastest-growing trade
corridor, with recent estimates from MCC
Transport placing volumes at 30 million
TEU a year.
While
the headlong rush into the intra-Asia trade
parallels that of the stampede into mega
ships, both phenomena beg the question:
Where is the infrastructure to cope with
the growth?
With
feeders and coastal services, some expect
that exceed 35 million TEU. Maersk's regional
specialist Singapore-based MCC Transport,
expects intra-Asia volume to represent 22
per cent of global box trade.
Recent
demand growth on intra-Asia trade lanes
has prompted a flurry of activity from ocean
carriers seeking to strengthen their market
share in one of the liner industry's few
bright spots.
Rapid
intra-Asian growth started in China 30 years
ago, when they were very few container terminals,
according to the World Council of Shipping
(WCS), which represents 90 per cent of world
container shipping.
Today,
China has the largest terminal network in
the world and has become the No 1 trading
partner for countries in Asia, which for
years relied on the United States as their
biggest trade partners.
"Those
changes have caused changes in the individual
lanes, it caused changes in ship sizes and
port developments. There are still many
countries in Asia that are still capped
and restricted in terms of their ability
to play in the game because they don't have
infrastructure," said WCS chairman
Ron Widows, former CEO of Singapore's APL,
the container shipping arm of Neptune Orient
Lines.
Moreover,
studies from the International Transport
Forum (ITF), a unit of the Organisation
of Economic Cooperation of Development (OECD),
say the main maritime trade routes now all
originate in Asia and intra-Asian trade
grown with the booming economies of the
region.
It
was also reported at the ITF Leipzig conference
that Asian ports currently manage more than
50 per cent of the world's port activity,
said the Jakarta Globe.
"Expansion
in Asia continues to determine global trade
patterns, with intra-Asia container cargo
flows now being more substantial than Asia-Europe
and Asia-US flows together," the ITF
statement said.
Regional
Container Lines (RCL) has deployed larger
feeders on its Singapore-Manila (RMN) and
Singapore-Ho Chi Minh (RHS) services, upsizing
their vessels from 1,600 TEU to 2,000 TEU
and 1,080 TEU to 1,600 TEU.
And
later this month, Thailand's RCL will also
launch a direct service between Thailand
and Myanmar.
"We
are seeing greater competition in intra-Asia
from the global carriers as it now has the
biggest trade volumes in the world at a
high level [of freight rates]," RCL
vice-president Charlie Chu told London's
Loadstar.
Other
new or upgraded services include those recently
announced by "K" Line, APL, Evergreen,
Pacific International Lines (PIL), Hanjin
Shipping and Hong Kong's OOCL.
"K"
Line, Japan's third largest shipping company,
launched a service between China and South-east
Asia, while Singapore-based APL will add
a new call at Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to its
West Asia Express (WAX) service; and Taiwanese
carrier Evergreen has upgraded its intra-Asia
offering by launching a Taiwan, Shenzhen-Shekou,
Malacca Strait service (TSS), as well as
a dedicated Taiwan-Hong Kong service (THK).
Regional
operator Pacific Internal Lines (PIL) made
its intentions clear by taking a major shareholding
in Mariana Express Lines, which specialises
in shipments to Hawaii and the Pacific islands.
And on April 27, PIL will team up with "K"
Line and South Korea's Hanjin to launch
the weekly China Straits Express. The service
will link ports in China, Thailand and Vietnam
with four 2,500-TEU vessels.
Earlier,
OOCL introduced its new product, the Central
PRC/South East Asia Service (CSS), to enhance
its portfolio in the intra-Asia market.
The CSS will provide direct connections
between central Chinese ports, Ho Chi Minh
City, Singapore, Jakarta and Laem Chabang.
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