Hamburg-based Tailwind Shipping Lines is doubling down on its commitment to fast liner services from Asia to Europe.
The subsidiary of German supermarket chain Lidl is launching a new operation from Bangladesh to Europe using smaller ships taken from the charter market.
The Tiger Express service (TEX) will operate with vessels up to 5,000 teu, which are able to call at less busy ports near major trading hubs.
“Owing to the ships we deploy, we can reach the region without any intermediate stops or transshipment,” Tailwind managing director Wolf Tiedemann said.
“Especially thanks to the direct connection between Bangladesh and Europe, this will represent a huge increase in efficiency, which we will also use to boost the reliability of the supply chains for our customers.”
Tiedemann, the board member with responsibility for logistics with Neckarsulm-based Lidl Stiftung, is marketing the TEX service as a cost-effective alternative to air freight for Lidl goods, as well as to third-party customers.
The service will target clients in the fashion and textile sectors with fast sailings, such as less than 20 days between Chittagong and Barcelona.
The company said calling at smaller ports such as Moerdijk in the Netherlands means goods will be loaded onto trucks in a comparatively short time.
The TEX is the second liner service launched by Tailwind in under a year.
Tailwind was formed in July 2022 — the peak of the boxship boom last year — and already employs a staff of around 100 employees including via agencies.
The company was established initially to transport non-food goods produced in China for the German supermarket chain.
By focusing on routes with few port calls, Tailwind hopes to achieve short turnaround times without delays.
Last year, the company launched the Panda Express service between China and Europe, sailing on routes from Taicang via Ningbo and Shenzhen to Koper, Barcelona and Rotterdam.
Brokers said the shipping company remains an active charterer and recently fixed the 6,000-teu Chicago (built 2003) for 12 months at $25,000 per day.
The Chicago, which belongs to Germany’s NSB Group, will be taken in May after an upcoming fourth classification renewal.
