Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and ZIM today announce a new strategic cooperation on the Asia – US East Coast trade.
At present, MSC and Maersk Line operate five loops and ZIM operates two loops on the trade. As of early September 2018, MSC and Maersk Line will contribute four of their operated loops to a combined operation of five loops with ZIM between Asia and USEC. ZIM will operate one loop. The parties will swap slots of all five loops of the new cooperation.
“We are pleased to enter into this strategic cooperation with ZIM. We will improve our combined product portfolio between Asia and the US East Coast and deliver on our promise to customers while creating the needed operational efficiencies for us to run a sustainable business on the trade also in the future,” says Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk Line.
Eli Glickman, President and CEO of ZIM, said: “We are pleased to enter into this strategic operational cooperation with the 2M Alliance. The agreement will significantly improve our services on this important trade, where we remain a major player as part of our strategy. It is a vote of confidence by the two largest players in the industry, acknowledging ZIM’s capabilities, reliability and strength. Furthermore, it will enable ZIM to achieve operational efficiencies and ensure our ability to maintain a leading position on the trade.
We will continue to be independent, building on our personal links with our customers, for which we are so well known in addition to our ongoing technological initiatives such as our successful blockchain project.
We will continue to service all trades in our current network – with even better service links and transit times. Our customers will continue to benefit from ZIM’s exceptional level of service, now with an improved product.”
AMERICA
A service dedicated to the South China and Vietnam markets into U.S. East Coast. Deployed vessel size will be 9,500 TEU.
First sailing to be determined. Service rotation will be as follows:
- Eastbound: Shekou – Hong Kong – Yantian – Vung Tao – Singapore – Newark – Charleston – Savannah – Miami –Freeport
- Westbound: Newark – Charleston – Savannah – Miami – Freeport – Singapore – Shekou – Hong Kong – Yantian – Vung Tao
EMPIRE
Existing calls in Shekou and Hong Kong will be moved to the America service. A call in Xiamen will be together with an additional Newark export call. Deployed vessel size will be 11,500 TEU.
First sailing to be determined. Service rotation will be as follows:
- Eastbound: Yantian – Xiamen – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Newark – Baltimore – Norfolk
- Westbound: Baltimore – Norfolk – Newark – Salalah – Colombo – Singapore – Yantian – Xiamen – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan
AMBERJACK
The service will be similar to the current Amberjack service however a call to Busan will be added as well as a swap between Jacksonville and Wilmington. Deployed vessel size will be 8,500 TEU.
First sailing to be determined. Service rotation will be as follows:
- Eastbound: Xingang – Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Busan – Kingston – Savannah – Charleston – Jacksonville – Wilmington
- Westbound: Savannah – Charleston – Jacksonville – Wilmington – Kingston – Busan – Xingang – Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo
EMERALD
Existing calls in Hong Kong and Freeport will be moved to the America service. Calls in Xiamen, Kaoshiung and Singapore will be added. Deployed vessel size will be 9,500 TEU.
First sailing to be determined. Service rotation will be as follows:
- Eastbound: Xiamen – Kaoshiung – Yantian – Shanghai – Busan – Christobal – Savannah – Norfolk – Charleston – Miami.
- Westbound: Savannah – Norfolk – Charleston – Miami – Singapore – Xiamen – Kaoshiung – Yantian – Shanghai – Busan
ELEPHANT – NEW SERVICE
The service will be our new dedicated South-East Asia service offering a new direct service between Laem Chabang port, Thailand, and USEC ports as far as New York. The revised network will include calls at Colombo to facilitate shipping opportunities for cargo from nearby India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Deployed vessel size will be 6,500 TEU.
First sailing to be determined. Service rotation will be as follows:
- Eastbound: Laem Chabang – Singapore – Colombo – Salalah – Newark – Norfolk – Savannah – Freeport
- Westbound: Newark – Norfolk – Savannah – Freeport – Singapore – Laem Chabang
The cooperation is scheduled to begin in early September 2018, subject to regulatory approval. The initial term of the cooperation is four years with an option to extend it to seven years in total. The parties expect to disclose more information about network changes and schedules on the trade soonest possible.
