Grand Alliance to co-operate with Zim on Pacific North West trade

Cooperation will be on two strings of the NWX and PNX services on the transpacific with immediate effect. Zim will provide three TEU 8,000 to TEU 10,000 vessels from July onward
 
The Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) announced last week it will cooperate with Israeli shipping line Zim on two strings of the NWX and PNX services on the transpacific with immediate effect to serve north China, Japan, south China, south east Asia, Canada and the US north west coast.
 
Zim's move is seen by shipping circles as being aimed at widening of its partnership with the Grand Alliance.
 
Two services will operate on a weekly basis with a round voyage of 42 days (PNX) and 35 days (NWX). Zim will provide three TEU 8,000 to TEU 10,000 vessels from July onward and the Grand Alliance will provide eight TEU 8,000 ships.
 
For the NWX service, the rotation will be: Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, Seattle, Vancouver (Vanterm), Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe and Ningbo.
 
The PNX rotation will be Singapore, Laem Chabang, Shekou, HongKong, Kaohsiung, Vancouver (Delta port), Seattle, Busan, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen (Shekou) and Singapore.
 
The object of the arrangement is to improve services by offering enhanced efficiency, increased economy of scale and greater capacity and cost efficiencies, said a Grand Alliance statement.
 
Theagreement is subject to Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) approval. Earlier last week, Grand Alliance carriers announced they were terminating an Asia/Black Sea service and would purchase slots on a similar Zim Lines service.