WTSA Adopts Rate Increases for Protein Shipments to Asia

Oakland, CA / May 11, 2007– Shipping lines in the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA) are recommending increases to freight rates for refrigerated U.S.-Asia shipments of beef, pork and poultry, effective July 1, 2007.

WTSA member lines say they intend to raise so-called “protein” rates by US$400 per 40-foot container (FEU) for port-to-port cargo, and by $600 per FEU for inland point and minilandbridge intermodal shipments. Proportionate increases will be applied to other equipment sizes and cargo otherwise rated. For rates constructed as a port-to-port rate plus inland add-on, the water portion will be raised by $400 and the inland add-on by $200.

Local door shipments to Busan will see another US$150 per FEU added to existing inland add-on charges or to through rates, on top of the overall increase described above. For all other inland Korea destinations the additional charge will $400 per FEU. Finally, in cases where carriers provide U.S. West Coast container freight station (CFS) services to exporters for frozen cargo, the West Coast CFS charge will be raised to US$550 per FEU.

WTSA is a voluntary discussion and research forum of 10 major container shipping lines serving the trade from ports and inland points in the U.S. to destinations throughout Asia.

WTSA members include:

APL, Ltd.
COSCO Container Lines, Ltd.
Evergreen Line
Hapag Lloyd AG
Hanjin Shipping Co., Ltd.
Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K Line)
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (N.Y.K. Line)
Orient Overseas Container Line, Inc.
Yangming Marine Transport Corp.



Contact: Niels Erich
T: (415) 543-6048
F: (415) 358-4540
E: nerich@pacbell.net