NileDutch - carrying cargo to West Africa for over 25 years

25.05.2009NYK and NileDutch to launch Asia – West Africa Service

NYK and NileDutch today announce a new direct service between Asia, South Africa and West Africa.

The service will operate twice a month between the ports of Shanghai, Shekou (China), and Singapore in Asia and Durban (South Africa), Lome (Togo), Tema (Ghana) and Lagos (Nigeria). Both companies will deploy two vessels of between 2,200 TEU and 2,700 TEU nominal intake.

The service will commence on 17th June with MV Commodore‘s arrival in Shanghai.

NYK Group Europe’s Liner Division senior trade director Yasunobo Suzuki stated: “This new service is being introduced to support the huge inward investment by our Asian customers in West Africa, built upon growing demands of African consumers. It will also provide a direct service for African exporters to Asia.”

According to NileDutch’s Jan-Willem de Braal this development will further support the market’s recognition of his company’s leading role in West Africa and will provide an even better service range to it’s customers.

This service is the first joint venture for NYK and NileDutch and it marks a return to West Africa for NYK. NileDutch will be expanding its presence in West Africa in addition to its current Asia – Angola service.

Download the SWAX Sailing Schedule

For further information contact:
Jan-Willem de Braal, Managing Director NileDutch
Tel +31 (0)10 281 8283
jwdebraal@niledutch.com

Ian J Aitchison, general manager
Group Communications, NYK Group Europe Ltd
Tel: +44 20 7090 2063
ian.aitchison@ne.nykline.com

03.04.2009NileDutch Sea Art Project

Our Vessel, the NileDutch Kwanza, has been used as a canvas by graffiti artists!


At her regular ports of call, Antwerp, Rouen and Lisbon, local artists (The Netherlands included) were invited to use the NileDutch Kwanza as a legitimate canvas.
29 Dutch , 6 Belgian, 7 French and 5 Portuguese artists have transformed the hull of the NileDutch Kwanza into a mega piece of graffiti. This piece shows their different styles.
This project started on the 23rd of March in Antwerp where all the artists were gathered to start painting both sides of the ship. The vessel went then to Rouen on the 26tho of March where the artists continued working on the project during the loading and discharge operations. The last port of call was Lisbon, where the project was completed on the 1st of April. Joost van Lubeek (Super Cargo of NileDutch) supervised this operation. The ship will be a sailing exhibition.

Modern art – contemporary and progressive
Within NileDutch there is a long-time commitment to contemporary arts. Graffiti is the foundation and inspiration of many artists. Graffiti is still evolving and we do find many graffiti artists at art academies all over the world. NileDutch finds it important to give young artists a chance to present their art. And therefore offers the NileDutch Kwanza as a canvas. NileDutch values graffiti as progressive, modern and active. Values NileDutch strives for itself.

Positive message
These are tough economic times. But even under these circumstances NileDutch maintains its positive values. We look to the future with confidence. And that is exactly the theme NileDutch has for this project: upbeat creativity, optimistic determination, trust in a good future, successful cooperation. This message will ultimately be visible in the artwork on the hull of the ship.

Art at sea
After the completion, the NileDutch Kwanza will be a sailing exhibition for at least 6 months. Then the temporary artwork will be covered in the NileDutch signature colours.

09.06.2008SOUTH AFRICA to WEST AFRICA SERVICE
General Rate Increase for Angola ports

NileDutch wishes to inform all customers of a General Rate Increase for Angola ports to the following levels:

LOBITO & LUANDA GENERAL CARGO	20’ container 40' container	USD 100 USD 200
CABINDA GENERAL CARGO	20' container 40' container	USD 750 USD 1500

Due to the present operational constraints our service to Cabinda is rather uneconomical. Although we realize this is a substantial increase, we wish to emphasize that it is required in order to continue to offer you our present high service level to Cabinda.

Please note abovementioned GRI will be implemented with effect 1st July 2008 i.e. NILEDUTCH HONG KONG voy 139. We thank you for your understanding and support, for any further information please contact your nearest NileDutch agent.

30.05.2008FAR EAST to WEST AFRICA SERVICE
Rate increase destination Cabinda

NileDutch wishes to inform all customers that as from 1st of July all rates for destination Cabinda (Angola) will be adjusted upwards with USD 750/teu.

This rate increase will be applicable for all cargoes loaded on board of vessels of our Far East to West Africa service (i.e. incl cargoes originating from the Arabian Gulf and Indian Sub-Continent which being routed via Singapore). The first effecting vessel will be NileDutch Qingdao/033.

Due to the present operational constraints, our service to Cabinda is rather uneconomical. Though we do realize that this is a substantial increase, we wish to emphasize that it is required in order to continue to offer you our present high service level to Cabinda.

For any further information, please contact the nearest NileDutch representative office.

29.02.2008SOUTH AFRICA to WEST AFRICA SERVICE

NileDutch wishes to inform all customers of a General Rate Increase to the following levels:

GENERAL CARGO	20’ container 40' container	USD250 USD500
REEFER CARGO	20' container 40' container	USD500 USD1000

Please note abovementioned GRI will be implemented with effect 01 April 2008 ie NileDutch Privilege voyage 136. We thank you for your understanding and support, for any further information please contact your nearest NileDutch agent.

08.01.2008NileDutch opens own office in Singapore!

NileDutch will open an own office in Singapore in January 2008. NileDutch Singapore will not only act as local agent for the company’s West Africa service, but it will become the company’s regional office for South East Asia, Indian Sub-Continent and Arabian Gulf.

NileDutch is a successful shipping company with its head office in Rotterdam (the Netherlands). The company operates 19 vessels from various regions around the world to West Africa in general and Angola and Congo in particular.

Photo: Singapore by night

Already 12 years ago the company started in Singapore. Initially as nvocc with transhipment of containers in Durban (South Africa) onto own services. But since late 2006 NileDutch offers a direct service between Singapore and various ports in West Africa, including: Luanda, Lobito and Namibe in Angola, Matadi in DRC, and Pointe Noire in Congo. Ports such as Cabinda (Angola) and Libreville (Gabon) are offered in transhipment through the company’s feeder-services. NileDutch has own offices in most of the ports served in West Africa.

This decision must be viewed in a strategic context whereby NileDutch will take full (regional) control. The company is confident that there is a long term future in the trade between Asia and West Africa. For example during 4th quarter 2007 the company also opened NileDutch Representative offices in China.

In the course of 2008 this niche service will be upgraded to a fortnightly frequency, and Singapore will remain a fixed port of call, also used as transshipment hub for cargoes from South East Asia origins such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. The ports in Africa each have their own problems, causing for example long congestions. Therefore the operation is done with modern (geared) container vessels; in order to (as good as possible) reduce the effects of the delays on the other side.

Photo: Port of Singapore with NileDutch Shanghai

West Africa sources all kinds of goods from Asia. This varies from construction equipments and materials to hi-tech consumer goods to basic foodstuffs as edible oils, condensed milk and rice to household goods.

Singapore is not only an efficient and reliable port and transhipment hub. NileDutch has found this to be an important commercial center with many specialized West Africa traders that the company wishes to stay close with.