MOL Announces Changes to Asia-Mexico/West Coast South America Service

January 09, 2009

Tokyo - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL; President: Akimitsu Ashida) today announced revised coverage on its Asia-Mexico/West Coast South America network, which is operated jointly with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).

The revised coverage will integrate the current two service loops, the WL1 and WL2, into a single service, the new WL1.

In order to ensure continued coverage of those ports previously served by the WL2, the new WL1 service will add a call at Callao, Peru. Cargoes import/export Buenaventura, Colombia and Guayaquil, Ecuador will be served via Panama, using MOL's existing Ecuador Express (ECX) service.

The revised port rotation in WL1 is Keelung, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Xiamen, Shanghai, Pusan, Manzanillo (Mexico), Callao, Iquique, Valparaiso, Lirquen, Yokohama, Keelung.

The new WL1 service rotation will go into effect with the "Helene S" Voy. 4905 (ETD Keelung February 5, 2009). The last sailing of the WL2 service will be the "Ocean Prosper" Voy. 4305 (ETD Xiamen February 2, 2009).

MOL General Manager, Liner Division T.K. Konishi said, "The service changes have been made to adjust capacity to fit the recent volume trends, while ensuring customers' transportation needs continue to be met. We feel that the combination of the new WL1 with MOL's ongoing Americas Coast West Service (ACW) connecting Callao, Iquique, San Antonio to points in North America, the Caribbean and Europe, provides our customers with the quick transit times and high quality service they have come to expect from MOL".