Maersk Line is planning to have at least one of its vessels registered in Taiwan to get in on the booming direct shipping services across the Taiwan Strait, a Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) official said yesterday. This will make Maersk the first foreign shipping company to register in the country. The cross-strait route, which was inaugurated in December 2008, is open only to Taiwanese and Chinese vessels or foreign-registered vessels owned by Taiwanese or Chinese shippers. Other ships must detour through a third area when sailing between Taiwan and China. The direct route is highly attractive to shippers because it reduces their travel time and costs considerably. Compared with the past when a detour was required, a voyage between Keelung and Shanghai is now eight to nine hours faster, and one between Keelung and Fuzhou is 11 to 12 hours faster. Transportation costs, meanwhile, are 15-30 percent less.
