Evergreen celebrates the Direct Links agreement with the launch of a new Taiwan

To mark the historical significance of the Direct Shipping Links agreement, recently signed between the authorities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Evergreen invited Taiwan's President Yin-Jiu Ma, Minister Chi-Kuo Mao in the Ministry of Transportation & Communications and a number of VIP guests to join its senior management led by S S Lin, Evergreen Executive Group Vice Chairman, and Arnold Wang, Chairman of Evergreen Marine Corp.(Taiwan) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 15 December, 2008 to celebrate the launch of a new North China/Taiwan service ( HBT ).

This new service, known by the initials HBT, links Kaohsiung with Xingang, Dalian and Qingdao. Guests witnessed the departure of the 1200 TEU Uni-Adroit from Kaohsiung, heading directly to the Chinese port of Xingang.

S S Lin, Evergreen Executive Vice Group Chairman, stated at the inauguration ceremony:

"Today represents a new chapter in the history of shipping across the Taiwan Strait. I applaud the vision and hard work of the political and business leaders and all authorities concerned on both sides that have made this day possible. By saving significant time and costs, direct shipping links will not only help carriers and shippers increase their business competitiveness and improve their performance, they will also fuel cross-strait economic interflows to the benefit of all those living on both sides of the Strait. It is a 'win-win' situation for both economies."

Since these direct shipping links provide for quicker transit times and fuel cost savings, Evergreen has a number of new services under study, some of which will probably be operated on a joint basis with other Chinese and/or Taiwanese carriers.

Evergreen has two major terminals in the port of Kaohsiung and expects also to use the HBT service to carry transhipment cargo, thus providing faster and more efficient links to Xingang, Dalian and Qingdao for its customers worldwide.