Gulftainer's container shipping division GT Lines will launch its first self-operated service from 8 March 2026. The India Sharjah Express (ISX) will connect Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Khor Fakkan, Sharjah, Hamriyah, Mundra turning in 14days using 2 ships of 950 teu. The service will be the first to call at the Hamriyah Container Terminal. GT Lines launched its first service on 17 December 2025 with the India Gulf Express (GIX) through slots on COSCO Shipping's Asia Gulf India 2 (AGI2) service that c

Six Indian companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Bharat Container Shipping Line (BCSL) on 3 February 2026. The shareholders comprise of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR, 30%), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI, 30%), Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd. (SMFCL, 20%), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (10%), V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (5%) and Chennai Port Authority (5%). The agreement provides for joint funding of up to INR15,000 crore ($1.65 Bn) t

The Gemini Cooperation's Indian Subcontinent Mediterranean Express (IMEX) / Middle East-Europe 11 (ME11) service will change from its current Cape routing to a revised Suez routing in both directions from February 2026. The revised IMEX/ME11 will call at Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Salalah, Port Said, Tangier Med, Valencia, Port Said, Salalah, Jebel Ali, Mundra. It will turn in 63 days using 9 ships of 15,200 to 15,800 teu that are all operated by Maersk even though it is marketed as a joint service u

Hua Xin Container Lines will launch a new China-Vietnam-Thailand 1 (CVT1) service connecting Dongguan, Ho Chi Minh City, Laem Chabang, Kampot, Dongguan from 11 February 2026. The CVT1 service turns in 18 days and will deploy 2 ships of 630 teu on a rolling schedule. The CVT1 is an extension of Hua Xin Container Line's China-Vietnam Cambodia 1 (CVC1) service that was launched on 28 September 2025 to call at Dongguan, Ho Chi Minh City, Kampot, Dongguan using the 390 teu LIAN HE CAI FU and 630 teu

Register Free Trial Carriers earnings are back in the spotlight after ONE posted an operating loss in the 4th quarter of 2025. Freight rates have continued to slip ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays and the carriers’ ability to stop the rate slump will continue to be tested in the coming months. Although global TEU-mile demand remains resilient and currently stants at 6.5% above last year’s levels, there are doubts over the sustainability of current cargo growth outside of the US as well as

Register Free Trial The uncertainty surrounding the return of containerships from the Cape route continues to rile the market with freight futures rallying over the past week after CMA CGM signalled to its rivals against an early return to the Suez that could drag down freight rates that are already under downward pressure. The SCFI dropped by 7.4% last week with further declines expected ahead of the Chinese New Year as carriers eager to build cargo roll pools start to slash rates more aggress

The OCEAN Alliance NEU4 service that is operated by CMA CGM as the FAL1 will make its return to the Suez route eastbound from 6 April 2026. The move is confirmed in the OCEAN Alliance's DAY 10 product announcement that was announced by CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL and Evergreen on 21 January 2026. CMA CGM had earlier rerouted from the Cape of Good Hope to the Suez on 2 eastbound FAL1 voyages on 5 January and 17 January 2026 before announcing on 20 January 2026 that it will return to the Cape route. Ho

CMA CGM announced on 20 January that it will re-route vessels deployed on their North Europe-Asia FAL 1 and FAL 3 services as well as the Med-Asia MEX service via the Cape of Good Hope. However, even with the withdrawal of the 3 services, CMA CGM will still retain 2 services (Indamex and Phoenician Express) on the Suez route. Unlike the 3 re-routed services that only uses the Suez route on the backhaul eastbound voyages, the 2 retained services uses the Suez on both directions. It is therefore

Register Free Trial Trump’s Greenland tariffs would threaten the fragile balance on the Transatlantic container trades, with westbound rates from Europe to the US already down by 40% since the beginning of 2025. But carriers face a bigger challenge away from the Transatlantic arena as freight rates out of Asia are eroding despite earlier expectations of a market rally ahead of the Chinese New Year. The lack of capacity discipline continues to pull down freight rates with the SCFI shedding 4.4%

TS Lines have launched a new China Philippines 2 (CP2) service connecting Nansha, Shekou, Hong Kong, Manila, Nansha from 18 January 2026. The service will turn in 7 days using the 1,182 teu TS PENANG.

CMA CGM's intra-Asia carrier CNC has added a new North China Thailand 8 (NT8) calling at Xingang, Dalian, Qingdao, Hong Kong, Shekou, Laem Chabang, Hong Kong, Nansha, Xingang from 17 January 2026. The NT8 service turns in 4 weeks and will deploy 4 ships of 1,500 to 2,800 teu starting with the 1,528 teu FSL KELANG and followed by the 2,564 teu CMA CGM QUELIMANE, 2,822 teu CNC JAGUAR and CNC LEOPARD.

Maersk will return to the Suez route on its Middle East Container Line (MECL) service on both directions from January 2026. The service calls at Mundra, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Salalah, New York, Charleston, Savannah, Houston, Norfolk, New York, Tangier Med, Salalah, Jebel Ali, Mundra. Based on current pro-forma schedules, the service will turn in 13 weeks using 13 ships of 6,000 to 7,200 teu, with just a 1 week reduction in total turnaround time despite the shorter Suez route compared to the pre