Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. ('K' Line) is launching a biweekly service from Asia to the east coast of South America (ECSA). The undertaking is a joint effort with Hyundai Merchant Marine, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Pacific International Lines. It is the second routing between those two points to be offered jointly by the four lines, supplementing the existing AESA service. Commencing at the end of March, the new ECSA service will offer direct coverage to Vitoria, Brazil, as well as a faster transit time to Rio de Janeiro. The lines said they will further upgrade the offering to a fixed day, weekly frequency in the event of "strong support" from the market. At the same time, the current AESA service will be expanded to call Pusan, South Korea beginning in mid-March. The result will be a direct express route between Korea and the east coast of South America.
