TAIWAN's intra-Asia carrier TS Lines is back in the news with the commissioning of five more box ships from shipyards in China while announcing that it would reintroduce Pacific services.
The company said four of the ship, each with a capacity of 2,900 TEU, will be built at the Fujian Maweiand shipyard and the remaining order for a 2,700 TEU vessel has been placed with Huangpu Wenchong. The price was not disclosed, but it is estimated to be around US$70 million per vessel.
Delivery from Huangpu Wenchong is expected in May 2023, while the ships ordered from Fujian Mawei are scheduled to hit the water from June 2023. These orders are estimated to take TS Lines' orderbook to around $1 billion, reports UK's The Loadstar.
It commissioned six 1,100 TEU ships at Fujian Mawei on August 5, and the latest order coincides with the delivery of TS Hochiminh from Huangpu Wenchong.
TS Lines said it would reintroduce an Asia-North America service with the launch of the China Pacific North West1 on September 30. A 1,800 TEU ship will be deployed and call at Nansha, Shekou, Shanghai, Qingdao, Vancouver and Nansha.
The 2001-founded TS Lines first entered the Asia-North America trades in 2010 when it and Hainan PO Shipping launched two services from China, Hong Kong and Busan to Long Beach and Oakland. Around two years later, the container shipping market weakened through overcapacity and a decline in demand and these services ceased. Hainan PO, which was owned by the Hainan provincial government, went bankrupt in November 2013.
Before re-entering the long-haul lane, TS Lines is launching a China New Zealand Express service on September 26 with a 1,800 TEU ship calling at Qingdao, Nansha, Shanghai, Shekou, Tauranga and Qingdao.
TS Lines chairman Chen Te-sheng has announced plans to own more ships to reduce charter costs. The company, the 21st-largest liner operator, currently operates 47 vessels, of which 25 are owned.
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