The four-carrier Grand Alliance (GA), consisting of Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad, NYK and OOCL, has agreed with ZIM and Hyundai to merge their South China East Coast Express (SCE) and South China East Coast Express 2 (SCE2) services into a single SCE combo Asia-U.S. East Coast loop in anticipation of a slack demand in winter.
Hong Kong-based OOCL said last sailing of the SCE will be the America Express, expected to depart October 28 from Kaohsiung, October 30 from Shekou, and October 31 from Hong Kong.
Last sailing for SCE 2 is the NYK Remus with the following expected times of departure: October 24 from Pusan, October 26 from Shanghai, October 28 from Xiamen, October 29 from Shekou and Hong Kong, and October 30 from Yantian.
The new SCE combo port rotation begins its first sailing with ZIM Ontario, expected to depart Pusan on October 31. The port rotation is Pusan, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Yantian, Hong Kong, Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Kingston, Manzanillo, Pusan.
“The GA members will continue to closely monitor market conditions while this service arrangement runs until approximately March of 2012,” said OOCL in a press statement.
Photo by mark hogan
