Sounding off

摘要

In 'Take Your Pick', published in CI January 2007 (pp46-49), a comparison was made between liner services routed to the US East Coast (USEC) via the Panama and Suez canals. Many interesting issues were highlighted, several of which I have to take exception to, and which lack clarity. First, the cost front. The comparisons illustrated were largely based on a recent research report published by the UK maritime analysts Drewry Shipping Consultants. In table 2 of the article, the author took differences in distance, time and the number of ships needed to provide service all the way to ports in North East Asia. This is a most unlikely scenario for a Suez Canal service.