Shipping company Maersk Line has announced the establishment of a new direct service between Ecuador and Russia.
According to Maersk, the Ecubex service will be the first direct, deep-sea liner route between the two countries and will offer a short transport time for high-quality Ecuadorian products shipped to the Russian market.
'As trade links are enhanced and expanded, the route will bring benefits to both Russian and Ecuadorian exporters and importers,' the company said in a statement.
Investment in the new service has apparently been prompted by increased demand for reliable and fast refrigerated transportation between Ecuador and Russia – notably from the fruit trade and especially for bananas.
The new service is also expected to give Russian exporters a unique opportunity to develop trade connections between Russia and South America.
Ecubex will operate on a weekly basis throughout the year, offering reliable service with high capacity that will be fast and efficient, Maersk added.
The service consists of six newly built Ice-Classed container vessels with maximum reefer capacity (600 plugs) and total nominal capacity of 2500 TEU.
Its rotation will include calls at Guayaquil (Ecuador), Balboa (Panama), Rotterdam (Netherlands), St Petersburg PLP (Russia), St Petersburg FCT (Russia), Bremerhaven (Germany), Manzanillo (Panama), Balboa (Panama) and Guayaquil (Ecuador).
The Maersk Niamey vessel is due to arrive in St Petersburg on 22 March.
