In an attempt to break into the fast-growing Tunisian export market, Maersk has introduced a combined container/ro-ro service that also revives transhipment operations at the Sardinian port of Cagliari.
Asnearshoring has found increasing favour among European importers, Tunisia’s garment manufacturers have begun to build up their market share as an alternative sourcing location to Asia, and today textile exports out of Tunisia are nearing the €4bn a year mark, with Europe accounting for over 80% of demand for its fashion products.
However, in an effort to avoid congestion at the Tunis-Rades Container Terminal, where container services from MSC, CMA CGM and various feeder operators call, Maersk has chartered the 2014-built ro-ro vessel Wedellsborg from Danish owner Weco RoRo to operate the Rades-Cagliari leg.
The ship will solely carry containers, rather than the trucks and unaccompanied trailers as the vessel was originally designed, which means it can call at Rades’ multipurpose terminal, La Goulette.
In combination, Maersk has also launched a weekly feeder service between Cagliari’s MITO terminal and its Moroccan deepsea transhipment hub at Tanger, deploying the 862TEU Visitor, run by X-Press Feeders.
Photo by courtesy of shipspotting.com
