Taiwan's largest shipping company Evergreen Marine Corp has begun shifting its regional hub from Singapore to Malaysia's Port of Tanjung Pelepas, officials at PTP said Tuesday.

"This week will see the phasing in of Evergreen services including the long haul east and west bound China-Europe-Mediterranean, the far east Mediterranean and the west coast-Asia-Europe pendulum service," PTP said in a statement.

Taiwan's Evergreen in April inked a terminal service agreement to relocate from Singapore to PTP, which is in southern Johor state and separated from Singapre, one of the world's busiest ports, only by the narrow Tebrau Strait.

Singapore Port operator PSA Corp Ltd also lost Danish global container line Maersk Sealand to PTP, last year.

Shipping companies say PTP offered quality service with a 30 percent discounted price to Singapore.

Maiden call

PTP said Evergreen's maiden call was made by the 152-metre Uni-Concord with a capacity of 1,038 20-foot equivalent units on Saturday. Another vessel Ever Apex arrived on Friday.

"Both services connect PTP weekly with Taiwan, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian ports," it added.

Mohamad Sidik Shaik Osman, PTP's chief executive officer said the port was honoured to serve Evergreen as it regional port.

"Our growth has received another unprecedented boost and the port will do all it can to utilize PTP's excellent connectivity to attract more common-user, distributing and logistics companies," he said.

Malaysia has expressed concern that a land reclamation project in the Tebrau Strait by Singapore could obstruct ships headed for its ports, but Singapore has rejected the suggestion.

As the world's 17th largest trading nation, Malaysia exports and imports goods worth more than RM300 billion (US$7.8 billion) anually, and more than 90 percent of that is moved by sea. AFP