Shipowner Valmer Lines has added a new stop, at Marseille's Fos-sur-Mer, to serve the Israeli ports of Ashdod and Haifa direct, according to WK Transport Logistique.
The aim is reportedly to win back traffic of early Israeli vegetables that now head to the Slovenian port of Koper since the collapse of Israeli shipper Agrexco at the end of 2011.
Agrexco's former shipping agent, Féron de Clebsattel, has been pushing for the return of Israeli tomatoes, peppers and other fruits to Marseille, and three years since the Israeli group's move to Sète, the agent has succeeded.
Following months of discussions, a subsidiary of Sealogis has convinced shipping company Valmer Lines to call at Fos-sur-Mer every Tuesday at Seayard's terminal.
'Contrary to what has been written, our goal is not to win business from Sète, but to capture traffic headed to Slovenia,' said Jean-Bernard Seillon, southern regional director for Féron. 'Koper has good facilities, terminals and carriers. As a shipping agent, we have a role to play and we refuse to give up. Our job is to convince the shipowners to stop in Marseille-Fos. We need to take risks.'
Two ships, Aquarius and Elena-J-Sibum, with a capacity of 600 TEUs, are being deployed for this service, which, since April, also serves the Spanish ports of Castellon and Valencia.
