ZIM ENTERS ASIA/NORTH EUROPE TRADE, TIGHTENS COOPERATION WITH CHINA SHIPPING
Zim Israel Navigation Co. is entering the Asia/northern Europe trade under a slot -charter agreement with China Shipping Container Lines.
The Israeli shipping line is taking space between Asian ports and ports in northern Europe on China Shipping’s Asia/Mediterranean/north Europe ships.
Zim is believed to have started its Asia/northern Europe operations on Tuesday (Oct. 16), with the sailing of the “CSCL Fuzhou” from Qingdao. The service has a sailing frequency of about seven days and a calls at Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Port Kelang, Hong Kong and Xingang.
Zim is already a major carrier in the Asia/Mediterranean trade, but it is new to the larger volume Asia/northern Europe route.
China Shipping is currently phasing in vessels of about 4,000-TEU capacity into this service, to replace smaller ships of about 2,700 TEUs. CMA CGM also takes space on the Asia/northern Europe service operated by the Chinese carrier.
China Shipping and Zim are also discussing the possibility of exchanging space between Asia and the Mediterranean.
China Shipping and Zim already cooperate in the transpacific and Asia/Australia/New Zealand trades. Both carriers, together with CMA CGM and Compania Sud Americana de Vapores’ affiliate Norasia, have moved towards a tight cooperation in multiple trades in the last two years.