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.

ONE joins Ocean Alliance on Transatlantic routes

In mid-December, CMA CGM announced changes to two of its Transatlantic services and the launch of an additional service between North Europe and the US South Atlantic, effective February 2025. Concurrently, ONE announced it will join CMA CGM and partners on these Transatlantic routes from next month.

The details are as follows:

From 1 February, CMA CGM and its partners will add Baltimore to its Liberty Bridge service, which operates between North European and US North Atlantic ports. This service will also call at CMA CGM's Port Liberty Bayonne terminal in New York, ensuring VIP treatment for CMA CGM vessels. 

• Carrier service name: Liberty Bridge (CMA CGM), AT1 (ONE)
• Port rotation: Southampton - Antwerp - Rotterdam - Bremerhaven - Le Havre - New York (Port Liberty Terminal) - Norfolk - Baltimore - Southampton
• First sailing: TBA

From 1 February, the Ocean Alliance will adjust its Victory Bridge service by adding a call in Southampton and offering a direct service between Europe, the UK and Mexico.

• Carrier service name: Victory Bridge (CMA CGM), AT3 (ONE)
• Port rotation: Southampton - Rotterdam - Antwerp - Bremerhaven - Veracruz - Altamira - Houston - New Orleans - Southampton
• First sailing: TBA

On 1 February, The Ocean Alliance and ONE will launch a new direct service between North European hubs and Savannah and Charleston.

• Carrier service name: Unity Bridge (CMA CGM), AT2 (ONE)
• Port rotation: Le Havre - Rotterdam - Antwerp - Bremerhaven - Charleston - Savannah - Le Havre
• First sailing: TBA

Also, from 1 February, ONE will add Miami to its Transatlantic 5 service. In addition, CMA CGM will add its own vessels to this service, thereby expanding its offering to Panama, Dominican Republic and Colombia.

• Carrier service name: California Bridge (CMA CGM), AT5 (ONE)
• Port rotation: Southampton - Le Havre - Rotterdam - Hamburg - Antwerp - Miami - Cartagena - Rodman - Los Angeles - Oakland - Rodman - Caucedo - Southampton.
• First sailing: TBA

MSC chooses Walvis Bay as new transhipment hub

MSC has announced two new shuttle services in Southern Africa, adding that Walvis Bay will become its new transhipment hub on Southern Africa's West Coast. European cargo to Southern African ports will tranship via Namibia. The details of the shuttles are as follows:

• Carrier service name: Namibia Express
• Port rotation: Cape Town - Walvis Bay - Cape Town
• First sailing: MSC Himanshi, ETD Cape Town, 8 January



• Carrier service name: Mozambique Express
• Port rotation: Beira - Walvis Bay - Durban - Maputo - Mombasa - Dar Es Salaam - Beira
• First sailing: MSC Imma, ETA Beira, 14 January

Furthermore, from 20 January, MSC will add a call in Walvis Bay to its NWC to South African service, offering a direct service between North Europe and Namibia.

• Carrier service name: NWC to South Africa 
• Port rotation: London Gateway - Rotterdam - Antwerp - Bremerhaven - Le Havre - Sines - Las Palmas - Walvis Bay - Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) - Durban - Cape Town - Las Palmas - London Gateway
• First sailing: MSC Rosaria, ETA London Gateway, 20 January

New & revised services

North Europe↔ Mediterranean/Black Sea

From early January, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will launch an East Med Express service between North Europe and Egypt. This service will connect to their Gemini Shuttle Network via hubs to other locations in the East-Med and North Europe. 

• Carrier service name: East Med Express (EME)
• Port rotation: London Gateway - Rotterdam - Bremerhaven - Antwerp - Port Said - London Gateway
• First sailing: Johannes Maersk, ETD Rotterdam, 11 January

Intra-Asia

Hapag-Lloyd announced the launch of several feeder services connecting China, the Philippines, and Indonesia with hub ports Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas starting next month. The services are as follows:

• Carrier service name: China Philippines Feeder (CPF)
• Port rotation: Nansha - Tanjung Pelepas - Singapore - Batangas - Manila - Subic Bay - Nansha
• First sailing: Hong Da Xin 718, ETA Nansha, 14 February

• Carrier service name: Jakarta Feeder (JKF)
• Port rotation: Jakarta - Tanjung Pelepas - Singapore - Jakarta
• First sailing: Josephine Maersk, ETA Jakarta, 8 February

• Carrier service name: Singapore Surabaya Loop (SS1) 
• Port rotation: Tanjung Pelepas - Singapore - Surabaya - Semarang - Surabaya - Tanjung Pelepas
• First sailing: Brickell, ETA Surabaya, 13 February

• Carrier service name: Taiwan Express (TWX) 
• Port rotation: Tanjung Pelepas (MY) - Singapore (SG) - Taichung (TW) - Kaohsiung (TW) - Tanjung Pelepas (MY)
• First sailing: Gabriela A, ETA Taichung, 6 February

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