CHINA SHIPPING CUTS ROTATION, FLEET OF TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE

CHINA SHIPPING CUTS ROTATION, FLEET OF TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE

   China Shipping Container Lines has shortened the port rotation and reduced the fleet of one of its transpacific container services.

   The Chinese carrier dropped two ships from its weekly “America Asia Thailand” service. Calls at Los Angeles, Dalian, Hakata, Qingdao and Xingang have also been ended as direct calls on the “AAT” service.

   Previously the “AAT” had used 11 ships averaging 2,551 TEUs. The withdrawal of two ships will see a reduction of around 7,000 TEUs in annual one-way capacity in the transpacific market.

   The revised port rotation of the “AAT” service is Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle, Wash.; Busan; Shanghai; Ningbo; Hong Kong; Chiwan; Port Kelang; Dubai; Nhava Sheva; Port Kelang; Laem Chabang; Hong Kong; Yantian; Busan; Vancouver and Seattle.

   Earlier in October, China Shipping started a new weekly transpacific “AAC” service using five ships averaging 2,827 TEUs, four of which were phased-in from the “AAT” service.