Shipping firm DKT Allseas launched a temporary freight service from China to the Port of Liverpool and will now offer more sailings due to ‘overwhelming demand’. Tony McDonough reports
A shipping firm that launched a temporary freight service between China and the Port of Liverpool is to offer more Far East sailings due to “overwhelming demand”.
DKT Allseas (part of Allseas Global Logistics) began moving freight on vessels from Shanghai and Ningbo to Liverpool to provide relief to customers facing increased ocean freight rates, as well as reduced reliability as a result of the global pandemic.
Allseas has worked closely with Peel Ports to ensure it can offer its customer supply chain resilience, bypassing congested southern English ports and move its cargo entry point to the Port of Liverpool, which is closer to its end destination.
Its first three sailings will be operated at full capacity, from the Far East direct to Liverpool. And due to the popularity of the service it has now committed to more calls over the coming months.
Darren Wright, managing director of Allseas Global Logistics, said: “The early success of our China to Liverpool service highlights the need of cargo owners for resilient, reliable and cost-effective supply chain solutions.
“Our first three sailings were completely sold out in short order and we have now fixed an additional three sailings and are looking to introduce further services over the next few months, working towards a longer term frequent Far East service for our customers.
“The unique advantage of focusing on single port of loading and single port of discharge offers a more robust solution, especially for time sensitive goods as we mitigate the serious problems of port congestion.
“Our aim is to fix longer term vessel contracts and close the transit gap to give rail freight a run for its money but at a much more cost effective proposition.”
Owner and operator of the Port of Liverpool, Peel Ports has worked with Allseas since February to facilitate this new Far East service, which will offer greater reliability and competitive freight options for cargo owners.
The port, along with its multi-million deep water container terminal Liverpool2, is well positioned as a viable call for Far East services and deep-sea lines. It offers close proximity to markets, creating a more reliable and sustainable way for cargo owners to get their goods to their end destination – a need which has been crucial during the last 12 months.
David Huck, managing director at Peel Ports, added: “The success of the Allseas services shows there is demand for a direct China to Liverpool service. We’ve worked closely with Allseas over the last few months, to provide a gateway from the Far East direct into the heart of the UK’s cargo owning community.
“We’ve even been able to use our networks to introduce them to new customers who have previously expressed a desire to switch cargo to direct call services to Liverpool due to the reliability, resilience and cost benefits offered to their wider supply chain.
“While this service accommodates the smaller feeder size vessels, our continued investment into our Liverpool2 deep-water container terminal also means we can handle some of the world’s largest vessels and facilitate deep sea routes, strengthening our position as a viable call for Far East trade.”