Mediterranean Shipping Company has announced a series of adjustments to its Asia–US East Coast network, covering the Empire, Amberjack and Emerald services, as part of efforts to enhance schedule reliability and operational efficiency.
The changes are aimed at reducing congestion exposure, optimizing port coverage and improving transit times across key trade lanes.
On the Empire service, Qingdao will be removed from the rotation, while Norfolk and Port Everglades will replace Jacksonville and Miami. According to the company, the revised port sequence is expected to reduce congestion risks and support more consistent on-time arrivals.
The updated rotation will include Shanghai, Ningbo, Busan, New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Port Everglades, Rodman and return to Shanghai. The enhanced service is scheduled to begin with voyage GE622E, with an estimated arrival in Shanghai on May 25, 2026.
For the Amberjack service, Qingdao will be added as the first port of loading, ahead of Ningbo, Shanghai and Busan. At the same time, Yantian and Xiamen will be removed from the rotation, while the US port call at Norfolk will be replaced by Jacksonville as the final port of discharge. The revised rotation will cover Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Manzanillo, Cartagena, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Kingston, Busan and return to Qingdao. The updated service will commence with voyage 8E, expected to arrive in Qingdao on May 20, 2026.
On the Emerald service, Kaohsiung will be replaced by Xiamen as the final port of loading in Asia. The change will provide a direct connection from Xiamen to key US East Coast ports, including Charleston, Savannah and New York. The revised rotation will include Singapore, Vung Tau, Haiphong, Yantian, Xiamen, Kingston, Charleston, Savannah, New York, Boston and return to Singapore. The service is set to launch with voyage 16E, with an estimated arrival in Singapore on May 16, 2026.
Through these updates, MSC aims to strengthen its transpacific network by improving schedule stability, enhancing port coverage and delivering more competitive transit times for customers.
