Our bi-weekly carrier update brings you the latest news about the new and updated sea freight services our top carriers offer on main trade routes.

Red Sea

CMA CGM announced all its services previously routed via the Red Sea will be diverted around the Cape of Good Hope as of 1 February. Until recently, CMA CGM continued to route its vessel through the Suez Canal under French navy escort.

New & updated services on main trade lanes

Europe <->South Africa

South African citrus growers expect a healthy harvest this season after a disappointing one last year. To support this export market, some carriers announced additional services to connect South Africa with Europe and North America. The citrus season generally begins with lemons in February, peaks around April-May and ends in September.

Earlier this month, MSC announced a direct service from Coega/Port Elizabeth to Northern Europe to begin in May for citrus exports.

The service will run every Tuesday from week 22 to week 36 to accommodate cargo bound for Europe, the Mediterranean, and Canada. MSC has not yet released details on this service but indicated it will offer additional sailings to its existing network.

Similarly, Hapag-Lloyd announced a Citrus Loader with weekly departures from Durban and the Eastern Cape from the end of May to September.

The Citrus Loader will bring cargo directly to Tangier, where they will tranship for all final destinations in North Europe, the Mediterranean and the East Coast of the United States and Canada, said the carrier. Further details are not yet available.

Europe <-> South America

From March, Hapag-Lloyd will change the southbound port rotation of its express service from Europe to Latin America, replacing Navegantes with Itapoa.

• Carrier service name: Europe East Coast Express (ECX)
• Port rotation: Rotterdam - London - Hamburg - Bremerhaven - Antwerp - Le Havre - Sines - Rio de Janeiro - Santos - Itapoa - Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Rio Grande - Navegantes - Paranagua - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Salvador - Pecem - Tangier - Rotterdam.
• Frequency: Weekly
• First sailing: MSC Sofia Celeste from Itapoa on 7 March

Mediterranean <-> South America

CMA CGM will enhance its service between the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and Northwest South America by adding a vessel and a Tanger port call.

• Carrier service name: MEDCARIBE
• Port rotation: Algeciras - Malta - Livorno - Genoa - Marseille - Barcelona - Valencia - Tanger Med - Fort de France - Pointe à Pitre - Caucedo - Kingston - Cartagena - Buenaventura - Paita - Posorja - Guayaquil - Moin - Cartagena - Algeciras
• Frequency: Weekly
• First sailing: CMA CGM Excellence departing Algeciras on 21 February

Middle East <-> Europe

Maersk will launch a new service this week to improve connectivity between the Persian Gulf to the East and West Mediterranean. The service will additionally enhance the connection in the Mediterranean.

• Carrier service name: ME8
• Port rotation: Jebel Ali - Doha - Dammam - Al Jubail - Jebel Ali - Abu Dhabi - Duqm - Salalah - Port Tangier - Port Said - Barcelona - Port Tangier - Algeciras - Salalah
• Frequency: Weekly
• First sailing: Westbound - San Clemente departing Doha on 14 February. Eastbound - Constantinos P II leaving Port Said on 17 February

North America<-> South America

CMA CGM will replace Navegantes with Imbituba on its service, connecting the US Gulf, Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Carrier service name: BRAZEX
• Port rotation: Veracruz - Houston - New Orleans - Kingston - Cartagena - Santos - Paranagua - Imbituba - Santos - Rio de Janeiro - Salvador - Cartagena - Kingston - Veracruz
• Frequency: Weekly
• First sailing: Hans Schulte from Imbituba on 25 February

Maersk has temporarily suspended an Oakland call for the next 20 weeks on its service connecting the US West Coast and Central America. Oakland cargo will be served via a dedicated feeder service from Lazaro Cardenas to Oakland.

• Carrier service name: WCCA2
• Port rotation: Los Angeles - Manzanillo - Lazaro Cardenas - Puerto Quetzal - Corinto - Balboa - Caldera - Puerto Quetzal - Lazaro Cardenas - Port Hueneme - Los Angeles
• Frequency: Weekly
• Last sailing from Oakland: Maersk Glacier on 4 February

Transpacific

Maersk adjusted the port rotation on its TPX service by adding port calls at Qingdao and Busan and removing the port calls at Haiphong, Yantian, Ningbo, Long Beach and Xiamen.

• Carrier service name: TPX
• Port rotation: Shanghai - Busan - Seattle - Yokohama - Shanghai
• Frequency: Weekly
• First sailing: Irenes Ray departed Shanghai on 5 February

In March, Yang Ming will update the port rotation of one of its Transatlantic services to include Cat Lai.

• Carrier service name: PAS
• Port rotation: Moji - Hakata - Busan - Kwangyang - Keelung - Kaohsiung - Hong Kong - Shekou - Nansha - Cat Lai - Hong Kong - Shekou - Xiamen - Moji
• First sailing: TS Guangzhou departs Moji on 5 March