by Fiona Nagorsnik, SeaNewsEditor

Gemini Alliance to suspend TP9/WC6 Transpacific service

The Gemini Cooperation will suspend the TP9/WC6 Transpacific service effective October 2025. According to Hapag-Lloyd, the coverage for Xiamen will be maintained via Pusan on the BS5 shuttle (ASIA SHUTTLE 14 by Maersk). Busan to Los Angeles coverage will continue through the WC2(TP8 by Maersk) and WC5(TP7 by Maersk) services. The final sailing on this service will be operated by the MV Synergy Keelung (Voyage 539E), with an estimated time of arrival in Xiamen, China, on 22 September 2025 (week 39). The vessel is scheduled to depart Xiamen on 23 September 2025.

New & updated services

Asia↔North America

Effective October 2025, Premier Alliance will adjust the port rotation of the PS4 service by removing the port call at Xiamen and introducing a call at Ningbo. The service is operated by Yang Ming and ONE, with HMM participating as a slot charterer.

• Carrier service name: PS4
• Port rotation: Kaohsiung – Yantian – Kaohsiung – Keelung – Ningbo – Los Angeles – Oakland – Keelung – Kaohsiung
• First sailing: YM Uniform, ETD Kaohsiung 2 October

Effective October 2025, Premier Alliance will adjust the port rotation of the PS6 service by adding a port call at Qingdao. The service is operated by HMM, while ONE and Yang Ming are slot charterers.

• Carrier service name: PS6
• Port rotation: Incheon – Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Kwangyang – Busan – Long Beach – Oakland – Busan – Kwangyang – Incheon
• First sailing: HMM Topaz, ETD Kaohsiung 24 September

Asia↔North America East Coast

Effective October 2025, Premier Alliance will adjust the port rotation of the EC2 service by adding a port call at Norfolk. The service is operated by all carriers.

• Carrier service name: EC2
• Port rotation: Xiamen – Yantian – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Manzanillo (Panama) – Savannah – Charleston – Norfolk – Manzanillo (Panama) – Busan – Xiamen
• First sailing: ONE Blue Jay, ETD Xiamen 10 October

Asia↔North America West Coast

Effective October 2025, Premier Alliance will adjust the port rotation of the FP2 service by adding a port call at Busan. The service is operated by all carriers.

• Carrier service name: FP2
• Port rotation: Singapore – Laem Chabang – Cai Mep – Haiphong – Yantian – Busan – Vancouver – Tacoma – Tokyo – Kobe – Shanghai – Ningbo – Yantian – Singapore – Southampton – Antwerp – Singapore
• First sailing: ONE Cygnus, ETD Singapore on 2 October.

Europe↔North Africa

Effective mid-October 2025, ONE will introduce a new fortnightly service connecting Spain and Portugal to Morocco. Details regarding vessel deployment and capacity have not yet been disclosed.

• Carrier service name: SPM
• Port rotation: Valencia – Lisbon – Casablanca – Valencia
• First sailing: TBA, ETD Valencia, 16 October

Intra Asia

COSCO will launch a new service to connect Asia with India end of September 2025. The service will be a standalone service with 4 vessels deployed with an average vessel capacity of 4000 TEU.

• Carrier service name: SEI1
• Port rotation: Singapore – Surabaya – Jakarta –
• Singapore – Port Klang – Nhava Sheva – Singapore
• First sailing: Xin Tai Cang, ETA Singapore, 20 September

Intra Europe

Effective late August 2025, CMA CGM has adjusted the port rotation of its ISX service, which links Belgium and France to the United Kingdom, by introducing a new call at Zeebrugge. The service is a CMA CGM standalone service. Two vessels will be deployed, each with an average capacity of 1,400 TEU.

• Carrier service name: ISX
• Port rotation: Greenock – Zeebrugge – Antwerp – Dunkirk – Liverpool – Dublin – Belfast – Greenock
• First sailing: Containerships VIII, ETD Grenock 23 August

Intra Mediterrean

CMA CGM will launch a new intra-Mediterrean service in week 40. This new standalone weekly service is going to provide a direct connection between Malta, Albania, Croatia and Italy. This service will be a standalone service, with two vessels deployed, each offering an average capacity of 700 TEU.

• Carrier service name: MAESTRALE       
• Port rotation: Malta – Durres – Rijeka – Salerno – Malta  
• First sailing: TBA,5 October 2025

Intra-South America

As of September 2025, CMA CGM will revise the port rotation of its MAOSHTTL service linking Central America and the Caribbean to the South America East Coast. The updated rotation will include new calls at Fortaleza, Pointe-à-Pitre, and Itacoatiara. The number of vessels deployed will increase from three to five, each with an average capacity of 3,000 TEU.

• Carrier service name: MAOSHTTL
• Port rotation: Macapa – Fortaleza – Pointe a Pitre – Cartagena (Colombia) – Manzanillo(Panama) – Macapa – Itacoatiara – Manaus – Macapa
• First sailing: CMA CGM Spirit, ETD Macapa 24 September

Mediterreanean↔North America East Coast

Effective September 2025, ZIM will adjust the port rotation of the ZCA service by replacing the call at Mersin with Damietta. The service, connecting the Mediterranean to the North America East Coast, is operated by ZIM, with Hapag-Lloyd participating as a slot charterer. Nine vessels will be deployed, each with an average capacity of 4,000 TEU.

• Carrier service name: ZCA
• Port rotation: Barcelona – Damietta – Ashdod – Haifa – Piraeus – Livorno – Genoa – Barcelona – Valencia – Halifax – New York – Norfolk – Savannah – Kingston – Valencia – Barcelona
• First sailing: Felixstowe, ETD Damietta 7 September

North Europe↔South America East Coast

Effective September 2025, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd will adjust the port rotation of the NWC–SAEC String 1(MSC) / ECX(Hapag-Lloyd) service by removing the call at Itapoa. The service will deploy eleven vessels, each averaging 9,100 TEU.

• Carrier service name: NWC–SAEC String 1(MSC)/ECX(HL)
• Port rotation: Rotterdam – London Gateway – Hamburg – Bremerhaven – Antwerp – Le Havre – Sines – Rio de Janeiro – Santos – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Rio Grande – Navegantes – Paranagua – Santos – Rio de Janeiro – Salvador – Pecem – Tangier – Rotterdam
• First sailing: MSC Letizia, ETD Rotterdam 6 September

Furthermore, Hapag-Lloyd implemented adjustments to its Caribbean Express Service (CES). Starting with MV Acheloos, previously scheduled to call at Hamburg Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) on 27 September 2025, will temporarily divert Hamburg calls to Unikai Terminal Hamburg for the subsequent vessels. This change of terminals means that reefer containers cannot be picked up or delivered by rail at Unikai.

• Carrier service name: CES
• Port rotation: Santa Marta - Puerto Limon - Cartagena - Antwerp - Felixstowe - Hamburg - Antwerp - Saint John - Philadelphia - Port Everglades - Santa Marta