ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd announced that it will cooperate with the “G6 Alliance” of European and Asian container carriers, on the restructured Asia to East Coast services network, starting May this year, subject to FMC approval.
The G6 Alliance, the biggest Asia-Europe vessel network, is to expand their cooperation to the Asia-North America east coast trade via both the Panama and the Suez canals starting in May.
The G6 Alliance members are: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.
This will include the following:
A new joint G6/Zim SCE service, replacing the existing GA/ZIM SCE combo service, in which Zim will deploy 5 of 9 vessels, with the following intended rotation:
Xiamen-Yantian-Da Chan Bay-HKG- Kaohsiung-Panama Canal-Manzanillo-Kingston-Savannah-Charleston-Kingston-Manzanillo-Panama Canal-Xiamen
Zim will also have space through slot exchange on the following all water East Cost services crossing the Suez:
AZX: Laem Chabang-Singapore-Colombo-Suez Canal-Damietta-Cagliari-Halifax-New York-Savannah-Norfolk-Cagliari-Damietta-Suez Canal-Singapore
CEC: HKG-Shekou-Yantian-Singapore-Suez Canal-New York-Norfolk-Charleston-Suez Canal-Singapore-Cai Mep-HKG
ZIM’s services between Asia and the US East Coast, Central America and the Caribbean will continue, adding new links via Suez from South China and South East Asia.
Rafael Ben-Ari, ZIM VP Shipping, said: “These new services and joint ventures are part of ZIM’s long-term strategic program, nurturing partnerships and designed for continuous improvement of the service offered to our customers on all major trade routes”.
The G6 Alliance will deploy more than 50 ships in the transpacific trade calling at 30 ports in Asia, North America east coast, Canada, Central America, Caribbean, Indian sub-continent, Mediterranean and the Middle East.
