MOL Starts Car Carrier Services for Toyota Argentina S.A.
- Opening New Route Bound for West Coast South America and West Coast Central America from East Coast South America -

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced that it has won a contract to transport vehicles manufactured at Toyota Argentina S.A. (TASA; President: Daniel A. Herrero; Headquarters: Buenos Aires, Argentine; Plant: Zarate), to ports on West Coast South America and West Coast Central America.

Vehicles produced at Zarate plant to be exported to the majority of the Latin American Region and this is also an economically important project backed by the Argentine government. MOL is supporting the initiative by providing reliable, efficient ocean transport service.

With the acquisition of this new contract, MOL has restructured the existing U.S. East Coast - West Coast South America route to connect Europe with East Coast South America, via the Strait of Magellan, West Coast South America, and West Coast Central America. The revised service allows MOL to respond swiftly to changes in demand for transport of completed vehicles in this region, with direct service from East Coast South America to West Coast South America and West Coast Central America.

MOL and TASA held a joint ceremony on August 10 (local time) at the Port of Zarate to mark the first shipment on the newly inaugurated route. Guests included government officials and representatives from the Zarate terminal operator and stevedoring company, as well as executives from TASA and MOL.

MOL's new services will play a key role in meeting robust demand for transport of completed vehicles in this region based on the company's know-how and expertise accumulated in more than 50 years of car carrier operation.