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.

New & revised services

North America↔South America

Hapag-Lloyd announces the launch of a shuttle service between Florida, the US Gulf, and South America. According to the carrier's advisory, this service will "improve connectivity to and from Asia, Europe and Latin America via Cartagena, Co.". The service will be operated by Maersk, with Hapag-Lloyd participating through a slot charter agreement.

• Carrier service name: IAM America Shuttle 2 (GUF)
• Port rotation: Cartagena - Tampa - New Orleans - Cartagena
• First sailing: Maersk Biscayne, ETA Cartagena, 20 March

In late February, CMA CGM, COSCO and ONE will revise the port rotation of their service connecting East Coast North America to West Coast South America by dropping the port call at Norfolk.

• Carrier service name: AMERICAS XL(CMA CGM), NEWS (COSCO) and FLX (ONE)
• Port rotation: Port Everglades - Philadelphia - New York - Cartagena - Buenaventura - Guayaquil - Callao - San Antonio - Callao - Guayaquil - Cartagena - Port Everglades
• First sailing: Martinique, ETD Port Everglades, 23 February

India↔Middle East

CMA CGM will launch two new services between India and the Middle East/Red Sea at the end of February. These services will complement the existing BIGEX1 and BIGEX2 offerings.

• Carrier service name: BIGEX3
• Port rotation: Nhava Sheva - Mundra - Salalah - Jeddah - Nhava Sheva
• First sailing: TBA, ETA Nhava Sheva 22 February

• Carrier service name: BIGEX4
• Port rotation: Nhava Sheva - Mundra - Dammam - Umm Qasr - Nhava Sheva
• First sailing: TBA, ETA Nhava Sheva 24 February

Intra Asia

ONE will launch a new service between China and Vietnam in April. The service will offer a five-day transit time between Ho Chi Minh and Nansha.

• Carrier service name: Vietnam China Express (VCX)
• Port rotation: Ho Chi Minh- Hai Phong- Nansha- Hong Kong- Hai Phong- Ho Chi Minh
• First sailing: Haian Alfa, ETA Ho Chi Minh 16 April

Intra Europe

In February, CMA CGM, Arkas Line, and Maersk launched a new intra-European service linking Spain, Italy, and Egypt.

• Carrier service name: CMA CGM( Alexandria Express (ALYEX)), Arkas Line(TBA), Maersk (TBA)
• Port rotation: Valencia - Barcelona - Genoa - La Spezia - Salerno - Alexandria - Valencia
• First sailing: TBA, ATA Valencia 15 February

CMA CGM will also reshuffle its Med Pendulum Service between East and West Mediterranean, Morocco and Portugal. The details are as follows:

• Carrier service name: MPS
• Port rotation: Salerno - Genoa - La Spezia - Barcelona - Casablanca - Leixoes - Setubal - Valencia - Barcelona - Marseille - La Spezia - Genoa - Salerno - Piraeus - Beirut - Mersin - Alexandria - Salerno
• First sailing: TBA, ETA Salerno in Week 10

Last week, CMA CGM's Bora Med Service (BMS) sailed on a new rotation to include Syrian ports. The service will connect Syrian markets to Malta, Alexandria and Beirut. The details are as follows:

• Carrier service name: Bora Med Service (BMS)
• Port rotation: Izmir - Aliaga - Ambarli - Gebze - Gemlik - Malta - Ancona - Ravenna - Venezia - Trieste - Koper - Rijeka - Bar - Taranto - Malta - Limassol - Alexandria - Beirut - Lattakia - Tartous - Beirut - Izmir
• First sailing: CMA CGM Fort Ste Marie, ATA Beirut 14 February

In mid-February, ONE will launch its Polish Shuttle service, which will connect Poland with hubs Hamburg and Rotterdam. This shuttle service will be operated by ONE and complement its SBX service, which connects Gdynia with Rotterdam and Antwerp.

• Carrier service name: PLS(Polish Shuttle Service)
• Port rotation: Hamburg - Rotterdam - Gdynia - Gdansk - Hamburg
• First sailing: TBA, ETA Hamburg 19 February

Transatlantic

In late February, MSC will revise the port rotations for its MEDUSEC and EMUSA services, which connect the Mediterranean to North America's East Coast.

On the MEDUSEC service, Barcelona and Sines will be removed from the rotation.

• Carrier service name: MEDUSEC
• Port rotation: Naples - Livorno - Genoa - New York - Boston - Norfolk - Baltimore - Savannah - Charleston - Malaga - Valencia - Gioia Tauro - Naples.
• First sailing: MSC Hong Kong V, ETD Naples 19 February

On the EMUSA service, Barcelona will be added to the rotation.

• Carrier service name: EMUSA
• Port rotation: Tekirdag - Gebze - Aliaga - Piraeus - Haifa - Fos Sur Mer - Barcelona - Valencia - Sines - New York - Boston - Philadelphia - Norfolk - Savannah - Charleston - Tekirdag
• First sailing: MSC Madrid, ETD Tekirdag 18 February

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