MOL-operated car carrier serving Africa makes first call at Port of Kisarazu

Loads 800 used vehicles

TOKYO - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda) today announced that on August 31, the MOL-operated car carrier Swan Ace (capacity: 6,400 standard passenger cars) called at the Port of Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture and loaded 800 used vehicles. It was the first call for MOL-operated car carriers of Japan – East Africa trade. On the same day, the cargo owner, port officials, and other guests attended a commemorative ceremony at a hotel in Kisarazu City. Vast used vehicle export yards are clustered around the Port of Kisarazu. It has grown rapidly over the past few years and Port of Kisarazu is one of the ports that export used vehicles most in Japan; it is third in the Kanto region following the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki, and ranks in the top 10 nationwide. Used vehicles also represent a huge potential market, since Japan exports about 200,000 used vehicles a year, mainly to East African countries such as Tanzania and Kenya. MOL continues to take a proactive stance in effectively meeting the demand for used vehicle transport, providing safe, efficient, and reliable services that span the globe.