Denmark's Maersk Line has announced it will slash its reefer TEU service network, cutting more than 20 ports because of the strong market shift from TEUs to FEUs in recent years, according to the Shipping Gazette.
Maersk told customers, from October 1 it will no longer offer TEU (20-ft equivalent) reefer services from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands to Bulgaria, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Ghana, the Greek ports of Thessaloniki and Heraklion, as well as Kenya, Latvia, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen.
Industry reports cite the reason being: the time taken in delivering cargo and getting the equipment returned is taking its toll on Maersk's reefer TEU pool and perhaps impacting revenue-earning opportunities.
According to the Journal of Commerce, the carrier needed to improve the availability of its 20 ft reefer fleet. It noted that 40 ft reefers and 40 ft high-cube reefers will still be able to be shipped from Oceania to the restricted destinations.