CHINA Shipping Container Lines plans to add more services to its global network and to explore high-yield shipping opportunities it considers to have good earnings potential. Its aim is to increase its market share in the domestic and international markets.

It has already rolled out many new services in recent times and these include those that sail from the Far East to the Middle East, the Far East to the west coast of South America, the Middle East to Europe and from Europe to the east coast of North America, according to a corporate presentation accompanying its 2005 annual results.

Altogether, the company inaugurated eight new international services in 2005, adding to the 44 it operated the year before.

Now it plans to launch additional services, including one that goes from Europe to the east coast of South America, a seventh service connecting China to Europe, a fourth service linking China to the Mediterranean, a service sailing from China to the Red Sea, one from Europe to the US Gulf, one from Europe to Latin America and one that connects the Mediterranean to West Africa.

The carrier said that it will enlarge investment and construction in regional transportation. It will continue to construct and further improve local regional networks, such as feeder services within Asia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Baltic and Central America. This will reduce transshipment cost.

In addition it intends to expand and enhance the co-operation between itself and other carriers with the exchange of slots. CSCL wants to increase the frequency of its shipping services, to expand its market share, shorten delivery times, decrease the volume of transshipments as well as increase efficiency and reduce costs.

During 2005 CSCL strengthened its co-operation with other liner shipping companies in order to reduce operation costs while expanding service coverage throughout the world.

At the same time, CSCL said it plans to expand its share of China's booming import and export trade, tapping into the strong growth of the country's economy. It is hoping to turn its share of the domestic ports from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in the future.