Ocean carriers are shoring up their intra-Asia networks with a new cooperation that will raise their Far East-Indian Sub-Continent services to three weekly sailings from one weekly sailing currently offered independently by each liner.
APL, Maersk Line, and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) will launch a new slot-sharing arrangement on three existing Far East-Indian Sub-Continent services covering China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The cooperation also includes partners CMA CGM, Emirates Shipping Line, Hamburg Süd, and Regional Container Lines.
The partnership takes effect from February 2014. Eighteen vessels with a total capacity of about 17,500 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent units) will be deployed to the three services.
“Our multi-carrier cooperation will provide more frequent sailings between Asia’s major trading hubs, and at the same time eliminate unnecessary service duplications,” the partner-carriers said in a joint statement.
Under the enhanced Far East-India Express services suite, the new CIX will be operated by APL, Emirates, and OOCL.
It will have a port rotation of Nansha, China; Chiwan, China; Hong Kong; Singapore; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Jawaharlal Nehru, India; Pipavav, India; Colombo; Port Klang, Malaysia; Singapore; and Nansha.
The CIX3—to be operated by Hamburg Süd, OOCL, and Regional Container Lines—will make stops in Shanghai, China; Ningbo, China; Xiamen, China; Hong Kong; Singapore; Colombo; Jawaharlal Nehru; Pipavav; Port Klang; Singapore; Hong Kong; and back to Shanghai.
The FI3 has a port rotation of Xingang, China; Dalian, China; Qingdao, China; Kwangyang, South Korea; Busan, South Korea; Ningbo; Hong Kong; Singapore; Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia; Colombo; Pipavav; Jawaharlal Nehru; Port Qasim, Pakistan; Singapore; and Xingang. The service will be operated by CMA CGM and Maersk Line.
Meanwhile, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) is also set to boost its intra-regional network with a new call added to an existing service, a new feeder service, and a new slot-sharing arrangement.
MOL is revising the its Japan-Strait HS3 service to add a northbound call at Shekou, China, as well as launching a Singapore-Jakarta feeder service (AJS), and taking slots on an OOCL service.
The revised HS3 service rotation to include the Shekou call is Osaka, Japan; Yokkaichi, Japan; Yokohama, Japan; Tokyo, Japan; Hong Kong; Singapore; 1st Port Klang; 2nd Port Klang; Singapore; Cai Mep, Vietnam; Shekou; Hong Kong; and Osaka, Japan.
The HS3 service operated by four MOL ships will start on February 10 and will have a transit time of 28 days.
The company said the new AJS shuttle service will stabilize the service schedule of the HS3. “This will help maintain competitive transit times from Japan to Jakarta by transhipment to this dedicated feeder service and reduce the risk of accumulated delays at port(s),” a company statement said.
The AJS port rotation is Singapore, Jakarta in Indonesia, and back to Singapore. The feeder service is due to start on March 1.
MOL is offering as well the new Japan-Taiwan-South China-Jakarta (HS4) service by taking slots on the KTX3 service of OOCL.
Its port rotation is Tokyo; Nagoya, Japan; Yokkaichi, Japan; Kobe, Japan; Keelung; Hong Kong; Shekou; Singapore; Jakarta; Shekou; Hong Kong; and Tokyo.
The HS4 service begins on February 10 using four OOCL ships and having a round trip of 28 days.
Photo: roger4336
