After a five-year absence, and just a year and a half after a ship in one of its container services was fired upon by the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, (IRGC) Navy, Maersk Line has resumed its service to Iran.
“This means that our customers can once again utilize our global network, large fleet of vessels and equipment, weekly departures, superior transit times and innovative suite of e-business solutions, both to and from Iran, subject to country specific regulations,” the world's largest container carrier said.
Maersk's Iran business will be managed by a team that oversees a cluster of countries, which also includes the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.
Christian Juul-Nyholm, managing director for Maersk’s “UAE Cluster,” was upbeat about the resumption of service. “Global container trade has matured over the past few years and is growing at a slower pace," Juul-Nyholm said. "Iran has the potential to be the market which stands out with faster growth."
Marcus Connolly, head of sales for the cluster, said, "After a period of relative isolation, access to this new market will present significant growth opportunities for Maersk Line in a market that today represents approximately 700,000 FFE (40-foot containers) but is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.”
Source: americanshipper.com
