Danish ocean carrier Maersk has decided to upgrade its ME2 container service with the addition of port calls to key destinations in North Europe.
In particular, Maersk will include the ports of Rotterdam, Felixstowe and Bremerhaven in the ME2 service rotation from the third week of April.
The updated port rotation of the ME2 service will be Port Tangier (Morocco) – Algeciras (Spain) – Rotterdam (Netherlands) – Felixstowe (UK) – Bremerhaven (Germany) – Port Tangier – Salalah (Egypt) – Jebel Ali (UAE) – Mundra (India) – Nhava Sheva (India) – Port Tangier.
“This strategic extension of the ME2 service to key destinations in North Europe will benefit North India’s exporters, particularly those in the lifestyle and retail sectors,” said Maersk in its announcement, adding that manufacturers and exporters will get expedited access to important consumer markets in North Europe.
The transit times for ocean transports between Mumbai ports and North Europe will be shortened by five to seven days, according to the Copenhagen-based box line, while on the backhaul from North Europe to India, the importers for the automotive sector will benefit from faster transit times for automotive components transported into India.
“With the enhancements made to the ME2 service, we are emphasising our commitment towards one of the most important trade routes. By adding port calls to key destinations in North Europe, we are empowering our customers with faster access to the vital market, thereby enabling them to capitalise on business opportunities and increase their competitiveness,” stated Morten Juul, Head of Regional Ocean Management for Indian Subcontinent, Middle East & Africa at Maersk.
Despite the expansion, the nominal capacity of the weekly ME2 service will remain unchanged. However, Maersk will deploy two additional vessels to the rotation to accommodate the extended coverage in North Europe.
