by an average of six percent in December.

Somers Isle Shipping Ltd. yesterday said goods brought to the Island aboard its Somers Isles container ship would rise on December 1.

The ship sails from Fernandina Beach in Florida but draws commercial goods from points south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

"Somers Isles Shipping wish to point out that this is the first increase in rates for this service since July 1, 1985.'' a company statement issued by its agent Meyer Agencies said.

The statement follows by a few months a move by container ship owners working the Bermuda-New Jersey route to set up supervised talks to explore rate increases.

Bermuda Container Lines, which operates the the Oleander , and Bermuda International Shipping, which operates the Bermuda Islander , had absorbed years of diminishing returns before applying to the Federal Maritime Commission for approval to hold the talks.

Although rate increases have not yet occurred on the route, they are expected.