AP Moeller's Maersk Line and United States carrier Sea-Land Service have announced details of their five trans-Pacific and two all-water services.
The carriers said the service re-alignment aimed to meet increased demand for central and Southeast Asian exports, and included another weekly line-haul service from Hong Kong to California.
'These service changes represent a balanced approach to the current market situation, and are based on financial prudence and a focus on market opportunities,' they said.
The carriers have combined their new South Central Asia Express service and the Far East/Middle East (AMX) service to provide an improved direct service to and from the Middle East and Indian sub-continent, and an additional direct service from Hong Kong to Long Beach.
Refrigerated cargo shippers will see improved services from California to central and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The Suez Express, linking Asia/Middle East to North America, and the new TP-6 Express Service, linking Asia and North America, will gain a west-bound call in Tacoma, and west-bound services will be enhanced from the Pacific northwest to northern and central Asia.
Shippers who use the west-bound TP-4 service, which will be discontinued in April, will find improved transit times on the new TP-6 services that will provide two-days less in transit time to Japan and Hong Kong via the Tacoma gateway.