United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) is broadening its Asia-Europe network scope by providing new direct services to additional Asian and North European ports.
The Middle East-based carrier said it has begun launching three new services (AEC1, AEC3, AEC4) and two enhanced services (AEC8, AEC9) on the Asia-Europe trade under a vessel-sharing agreement with China Shipping Container Lines and slot-exchange arrangements with Hanjin Shipping and Evergreen Marine.
The fortified network will provide competitive transit times between ports in Asia and North Europe. It will have direct coverage from China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia to the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
The port rotations for the new services are as follows:
AEC1: Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Port Klang, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Port Klang, Nansha, and Qingdao
Ten ships with a nominal capacity of 8,500 TEUs each will be deployed on the route. The service starts April 28.
AEC3: Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Tanjung Pelepas, Piraeus, Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Piraeus, Tanjung Pelepas, Kaohsiung, and back to Shanghai
The service kicked off April 17 and deploys ten 14,000-TEU vessels.
AEC4: Xiamen, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Antwerp, and Xiamen
The new service started April 15 and utilizes 10 ships with a capacity range of 8,000 TEUs to 10,000 TEUs.
The two enhanced network loops have these port rotations.
AEC8: Ningbo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Yantian, Port Klang, Port Said East, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Jeddah, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang, Shekou, and Ningbo
The service will deploy 11 ships in the range of 13,500 TEUs to 14,000 TEUs and commences May 8.
AEC9: Qingdao, Kwangyang, Pusan, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Algeciras, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Algeciras, Singapore, Yantian, and Qingdao
There are 11 vessels of 13,000 TEUs in capacity in this loop, which was unveiled April 20.
Meanwhile, Pacific International Lines (PIL) and NileDutch are set to launch a joint weekly service between the Far East and West Africa from mid-May this year.
The new network pattern will offer direct weekly coverage from China to South Africa, Angola, and Congo, deploying 13 panamax vessels, nine of which are to come from NileDutch and four from PIL.
The weekly port rotation is Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Singapore, Durban, Cape Town, Pointe Noire, Luanda, Singapore, and back to Xingang.
In a joint statement, the two carriers said the cooperation enables the companies “to improve their efficiency and competitive position, and respond to developments in the market.”
Photo: Anav Rin
