The seasonal Safmarine SAECS Reefer Express (REX) service is returning this month to provide extra capacity during the peak South Africa fresh fruit season.
REX, which first launched three years ago, will begin sailings between South Africa and Europe on 28 May, Safmarine's South Africa-Europe trade manager Ian Fairlie revealed.
Offering increased capacity compared with 2009 and 2010, the REX service's port rotation includes Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Tilbury, Rotterdam and Port Elizabeth, with Lisbon subject to inducement on the northbound leg.
'Plug capacity on the six vessels that will be deployed on the 2011 REX service have been adjusted in line with the anticipated increased seasonal demand,' said Fairlie. 'The increase in the number of plugs is particularly good news for South African exporters and European importers of Cape citrus and pomme fruit, who will also benefit from the two sailings per week frequency and the REX's direct link between the Cape ports and Tilbury/Rotterdam.'
While the REX service is marketed as an additional, weekly 'purely reefer' container service, it will also be available to shippers of dry cargo.
Safmarine has also reported that 2011 reefer volumes to date have been up on 2010 volumes for the same period, with 'all indications' suggesting that it will be a positive South African fruit export season.
