CaroTrans is will operate a new direct, weekly LCL (less than container load) and FCL (full container load) export service from Houston to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The first sailing from Houston is August 20th with arrival in Rio de Janeiro September 14th, a 25-day transit.  This new offering compliments the existing direct Houston to Santos export service and marks the continued expansion of CaroTrans and Crafts comprehensive North – South, end-to-end service network.  Craft, a longstanding, dedicated partner of CaroTrans the last 12+ years, is a global leader in NVOCC services in South America.   “We grow and invest in important global trade lanes where our customers need dependable, direct, weekly ocean transportation solutions to meet the needs of their customers.  As a market leader in this North – South trade lane, we understand that Brazil is a key emerging global market and has significant growth potential.  The upcoming 2014 Soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympics are driving infrastructure investment on a large scale,” said Greg Howard, Global CEO, CaroTrans.  “Additionally, with this Brazil service we’re effectively addressing the time-sensitive needs of oil and gas industry exporters.” “As companies pursue global expansion they search out well-established, knowledgeable global NVOCCs in key growth markets, such as South America, to ensure reliable supply chain performance.  Our partnership with CaroTrans delivers the depth and commitment in North America that allows us to deliver superior end-to-end transport solutions to our customers,” said Marcellus Hansford, President, Craft Multimodal. In 2012, CaroTrans expanded the scope of its South America service network with Craft by adding Argentina and Uruguay to its alliance relationship.  Together, this alliance delivers high quality, customer-focused LCL (less than container load) and FCL (full container load) containerized shipping services.  April 2012, CaroTrans added a direct Miami to Itajai, Brazil LCL export service.  Craft Multimodal Craft Multimodal is a Brazilian multinational company, which has become the market leader for providing high quality services and a greater number and frequency of direct LCL import and export shipments. This wide variety of direct services is what guarantees Craft’s incomparable coverage and transit time. Within our policy of neutrality and respect for our partners, we also provide FCL shipping with the same quality standards as LCLs, with vast market knowledge.  We rely on our specialized and experienced teams to generate practical and safe solutions on a daily basis. Our structure consists of 7 offices in Brazil and 5 in Latin America, with operational support at all Brazilian ports, agents in all continents and partnerships with the best ship owners in the market.