RCL has announced the November launch of a Far East-Africa (REA) shipping service, the first direct link between Qingdao and Dar Es Salaam.
The 56-day rotation is Qingao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Port Klang, Mombasa, Dar Es Salaam, Port Klang, Qingdao.
An RCL spokesperson said: “East Africa expansion is always in our pipeline,” but added: “We do have plans to expand into the land-locked countries like Uganda and Rwanda, not only just the base Mombasa and Tanzania.”
RCL says it will deploy one vessel on the new service, as will Emirates Shipping Line, Global Feeder Shipping, Interasia Lines, KMTC Line and TS Lines. The six vessels have a target capacity of 2,800 teu, but “this may vary a little among the partners”.
The cargo moving to East Africa will include building materials, chemicals, foodstuffs and manufactured goods, but RCL is “not targeting any particular commodity for a start whichever pays well will go on board”.
It said the REA service would build on on its current route network, which includes North Asia-Asean, intra Asean, Asia-India Subcontinent and Asia-Gulf.
Like all box lines, RCL has seen falling profits and, in August, stepped up its tonnage demolition plans alongside launching new routes.
RCL owns and operates a fleet of 49 vessels, with sizes ranging between 388 and 11,714 teu.