by Priya Radünzel, SeaNewsEditor

Container shipping companies adjust their services in response to market dynamics and operational hurdles. Stay informed of upcoming changes with Kuehne+Nagel's carrier service update, published bi-weekly on Sea News and seaexplorer.

Trade war pause boosts transpaciifc shipping

The 90-day pause in the US-China trade war has led to a sharp increase in cargo demand from China to the US West Coast, resulting in a significant boost in shipping capacity on the transpacific route. Carriers have responded by relaunching old services, launching new services, and moving capacity from less profitable trades in June. This surge is primarily concentrated on the North American West Coast, as detailed below.

The focus on the West Coast is driven by shippers rushing cargo to the US to avoid potential tariff changes and limited vessel availability for the East Coast. Carriers may continue to adjust their networks to meet demand, potentially redeploying vessels from other trades, which increases the risk of blank sailings elsewhere. Some trades may also face equipment shortages as carriers prioritise US cargo. This trend is expected to persist in the short term.

New & updated services Asia↔North America 

The Premier Alliance has announced it will streamline two transpacific services to the North American West Coast and launch a new service in June. The details are as follows:

The alliance will revise the port rotation of its PS6 service by removing the port call at Qingdao. HMM operates the service, while Yang Ming and ONE are slot charterers.

• Carrier service name: PS6
• Port rotation: Incheon- Shanghai - Ningbo - Kwangyang - Busan - Los Angeles - Oakland - Busan - Kwangyang - Incheon
• First sailing: HMM Turquois, ETD Icheon 2 June

It will also revise the port rotation of its PS4 service by dropping the call in Ningbo. This service is operated by Yang Ming, while HMM and ONE are slot charterers

• Carrier service name: PS4
• Port rotation: Xiamen - Yantian - Kaohsiung - Keelung - Los Angeles - Oakland - Keelung - Kaohsiung - Xiamen.
• First sailing: YM Unanimity, ETD Xiamen 6 June

Lastly, the alliance announced the launch of its PS5 service connecting Japan and China with the US West Coast. Yang Ming will operate the service, and HMM and ONE will partner with the carrier.

• Carrier service name: PS5
• Port rotation: Qingdao - Ningbo - Long Beach - Oakland - Kobe - Qingdao.
• First sailing: YM Mobility, ETD Qingdao, 7 June

Also in June, the Gemini Alliance will launch a new transpacific service covering East China and North Asia to Long Beach. The joint service will offer a direct connection from Xiamen and Busan to Long Beach, shuttle service via Busan to the Bohai Sea, and improved transit times to the Korean market.

• Carrier service name: TP9 (Maersk), WC6 (hapag-Lloyd)
• Port rotation: Xiamen - Busan - Long Beach - Xiamen
• First sailing: Rhone Maersk, ETD Xiamen, 24 June

Another major carrier, MSC, is to relaunch its Orient service in June. The carrier will deploy seven vessels with an average capacity of 12,000 TEU.

• Carrier service name: Orient
• Port rotation: Qingdao - Ningbo - Shanghai - Busan - Long Beach - Oakland - Qingdao
• First sailing: MSC Tianshan, ETD Qingdao 5 June

ZIM will relaunch its ZX2 service this month, which it suspended at the beginning of April. The first vessel will sail from Shanghai and Ningbo to Los Angeles at the end of May.

• Carrier service name: ZX2
• Port rotation: Shanghai - Ningbo - Los Angeles - Shanghai
• First sailing: Colorado, ETD Shanghai, 27 May

Other new & revised services

Asia↔Indian Subcontinent

In late June, Evergreen and Emirates Shipping will launch a new service connecting Asia to the Indian Subcontinent.

• Carrier service name: CIX8 (Evergreen), Emirates Shipping (SCX)
• Port rotation: Qingdao - Xiamen - Nansha - Da Chan Bay - Port Klang - Colombo - Nhava Sheva - Mundra - Port Klang - Qingdao
• First sailing: TBA

Europe↔South And Central America

In June, Hapag-Lloyd will adjust its Caribbean Express service by replacing Caucedo with Cartagena and removing Rotterdam from the rotation.

• Carrier service name: CES
• Port rotation: Antwerp - Felixstowe - Hamburg - Antwerp - Saint John - Philadelphia - Port Everglades - Santa Marta - Puerto Limon - Cartagena - Antwerp
• First sailing: Cape Sable, ETA Cartagena 11 June

CMA CGM and Maersk will temporarily adjust their SAFRAN service between North Europe and East Coast South America by substituting London Gateway with Southampton for four consecutive voyages.

The new rotation will be as follows: Southampton - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Tanger Med - Santos - Paranagua - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Rio Grande - Paranagua - Santos - Southampton.

The following vessels/voyages will be affected:

• MAERSK LETICIA voy. 0EWKIN1MA (NB) / 0EWKZS1MA (SB) - ETA GBSOU June 5th
• MAERSK LABREA voy. 0EWKKN1MA (NB) / 0EWL1S1MA (SB) – ETA GBSOU June 12th
• SAN RAPHAEL MAERSK voy. 0EWKMN1MA (NB) / 0EWL3S1MA (SB) – ETA GBSOU June 19th
• MAERSK LANCO voy. 0EWKON1MA (NB) / 0EWL5S1MA (SB) – ETA GBSOU June 26th

Intra Europe

At the end of May, ONE will become an operator of the Arkas Line GBS service, branding it BT1. The service runs between Turkey, Greece, and Black Sea ports.

• Carrier service name: BT1
• Port rotation: Piraeus - Istanbul - Burgas - Varna - Izmit - Piraeus.
• First sailing: Sinar Bukittinggi, ETD Piraeus 30 May

This July, CMA CGM will launch a new service connecting Scandinavia to the Baltic. The known details are as follows:

• Carrier service name: SWX
• Port rotation: Gothenburg - Aarhus - Klaipeda - Gdansk - Gothenburg
• First sailing: TBA

In July, ONE will launch a service between Egypt and Libya as follows:

• Carrier service name: LBX
• Port rotation: Damietta - Misurata - Damietta
• First sailing: TBA

Intra South And Central America

Hapag-Lloyd announced changes to its service between the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast Central America. The carrier will add a stop in Cartagena and San Juan.

• Carrier service name: GCS
• Port rotation: Altamira - Veracruz - Puerto Barrios - Puerto Cortes - Cartagena - Caucedo - San Juan - Altamira
• First sailing: Little Symphony, ETA Altamira, 3 June

Hapag-Lloyd will revise the rotation of its Caribbean port service from early June as follows:

• Carrier service name: GC2
• Port rotation: Puerto Limon - Puerto Barrios - Puerto Cortes - Cartagena - Puerto Limon
• First sailing: Scorpius, Puerto Barrios, ETA 6 June

Mediterranean↔ North America

In May, MSC added a port call in Las Palmas to its transatlantic service connecting the Mediterranean to the North American East Coast. The details are as follows:

• Carrier service name: MEDUSEC
• Port rotation: Charleston - Las Palmas - Malaga - Valencia - Gioia Tauro - Naples - Livorno - Genoa - New York - Boston - Norfolk - Baltimore - Savannah - Charleston
• First sailing: MSC New Haven, ATD Charleston 19 May

 For more point-to-point service options, including transit times across major ocean carriers, refer to seaexplorer.

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