Taiwan-based shipping lines have shown positive results in a marketplace that has increasingly suffered from financial downturns during recent months because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Intra-Asia operator TS Lines has recorded a strong increase in net profit for the first half of 2020, with financial figures reaching NT$1.5 billion (US$52.2 million), and increase of 50% up over the corresponding period in 2019. Strong cargo transportation figures in the second quarter of this year led to earnings in the three-month period levelling out at just over NT$850 million (US$29.5 million).

The company is aiming for a full-year profit of NT$3 billion (US$104.3 million), which will work out at almost double the profit earned in 2019.

According to a company statement, TS Lines’ container volumes in the third quarter of 2020 are likely to be 10% higher than those recorded for the second quarter.

In addition, Evergreen has expanded its coverage of the Mediterranean with two new services that commenced at the end of September and the beginning of October.

The two services will be named as follows and have the following port rotations:

Greece/Turkey/Bulgaria (GTB) service. Port rotation: Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Piraeus, Haydarpasa, Bosphorus, Varna, Bosphorus, Istanbul and Piraeus. First sailing was September 29 from Piraeus; deployment is the 1,471-TEU Roza A and the 1,164-TEU Uni-Assure.

Turkey/Georgia/Russia (TGR) service. Port rotation: Piraeus, Istanbul, Gebze, Poti, Novorossiysk, Gemlik and Piraeus.First sailing was October 1 from Piraeus; deployment is the Uni-Assent and the Uni-Aspire, both of which can carry 1,164 TEUs.