Date: Monday, August 01, 2005

Re:	TACA PRESS RELEASE - TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear NASA Member:

The Trans Atlantic trade continues to generate volume growth and leading commentators are projecting 2005 growth factors of close to 8 % Eastbound and around 4% Westbound. This follows growth of 9.5% Eastbound and 4.8% Westbound during 2004.

On the trade-wide supply side, as publicised in the media, certain service strings have been withdrawn or downsized, whilst a number of other Carriers have configured marginally larger tonnage into their service strings (subject to draft and average container weight payload restraints); the net effect of these capacity changes is calculated at reducing overall Trans Atlantic capacity by around 5%.

The TACA Parties welcome the opportunity to compete in this expanding market, and will work with the trade to provide the service levels that meet the needs of customers, no less than during periods where space constraints arise. However, as previously announced, operating costs outside of the control of the Carriers continue to increase, driving the need to implement a series of tariff rate increases throughout the year to sustain viability.

In that regard, the full 2005 TACA Eastbound Tariff Business Plan, which also addressed rate recovery measures, was announced late October 2004, and we would take the opportunity of re-confirming that from October 1st 2005, the Conference’s Eastbound Tariff rates will be increased by the following amounts:

Dry and temperature controlled containers:
$160 per 20ft
$200 per 40/45ft

Westbound, the Conference wishes to advise that TACA will implement the following tariff rate increase programme, effective October 1st, 2005:

Dry and temperature controlled containers:
$240 per 20ft
$300 per 40/45ft

The Members of TACA are:

Atlantic Container Line A.B.		Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line
Hapag-Lloyd Container Linie GmbH		Orient Overseas Container Line
Mediterranean Shipping Co.		P&O Nedlloyd Limited
A.P. Moller-Maersk Sealand

Issued: Crawley, England, July 29th, 2005
Website: www.tacaconf.com

Best regards,

North American Shippers Association (NASA)
Joan Barrett
NASA Administrator