January 21 - Swire Shipping has enhanced its Eastabout round-the-world service linking North American ports with the Middle East and India.
Capacity will be upgraded with two 30,000dwt ships being added to the existing four 41,000dwt vessels. The new ships are multi-purpose, tweendeck vessels each with their own cranes capable of handling heavy lift cargoes up to 200MT. Under the new, six vessel framework, frequency from US ports will improve from monthly to twice per month, while at the same time, Dammam and Jebel Ali have been added to the schedule. The two additional vessels will return from Mumbai to the US Gulf through the Suez Canal, adding a westbound capability to the existing framework.
