The 8,648 teu CLEMENTINE MAERSK deployed on Maersk's MECL (Middle East-India to East Coast US) service has made the first passage through the Bab el-Mandeb by a Maersk vessel since 1 March 2026. The ship made is westbound Suez Canal passage on 13 June 2026 on its way from Salalah to New York, marking the first trans-Suez passage by a Maersk vessel since the start of the Iran war. Maersk had announced earlier in December 2025 that the MECL service will return to the Suez route but reversed its de

COSCO has launched a new Spain Morocco Service (SMS) connecting Valencia, Casablanca, Valencia from 10 June 2026 using the 925 teu CONTSHIP IVY on a weekly rotation.

MSC will launch a new Sierra service calling at Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas, Shanghai from 24 June 2026. The service will turn in 49 days using up to 7 ships of 4,000 to 9,000 teu starting with the 9,411 teu MSC DOMITILLE at Shanghai on 24 June 2026.

MSC has enhanced its North Europe-Russia connections with the launch of a new Baltic Loop 12 service connecting Antwerp, St Petersburg, Klaipeda, Antwerp from 9 June 2026. The service will turn in 14 days and will deploy the 3,005 teu MSC SHANNON III and MSC NEDERLAND III on a weekly frequency. MSC remains the only main carrier to retain services to Russia since European sanctions against Russia were rolled out in February 2022.

Register Free Trial The Iran war has not triggered a stagflationary shock but has instead driven a fresh container cargo boom that has sent freight rates to a new 18 month high. Demand for AI-related technology and renewable energy products have driven an early peak season cargo surge with a new round of rate hikes still planned on 15 June after carriers pushed through the 1 June rate hike and Peak Season Surcharge implementation. The positive momentum is driven by both a shortage of vessel spa

MSC has launched a new Zephyr service connecting Singapore, Colombo, Djibouti, Salalah, Singapore from 7 June 2026. The service will turn in 28 days and deploy 4 ships of 4,200 teu to 5,000 teu starting with the 4,738 teu MSC SHRINIKA V at Singapore on 7 June.

MSC will withdraw the Indus Express service that currently connects Port Qasim, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Caucedo, Freeport (Bahamas), Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York via the Cape of Good Hope. The last sailing will be on the 4,992 teu MSC PRATITI that departed from Mundra on 3 June 2026. The service has omitted calls at Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali since March 2026 due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and is currently operated with 11 ships of 4,200 teu to 7,800 teu that will al

Maersk has announced the launch of a new Far East-West Coast South America AC1 service connecting Ningbo, Busan, Lazaro Cardenas, Buenaventura, Guayaquil, Ningbo from 4 July 2026. The service will turn in 56 days deploying 8 ships of 3,400 to 4,600 teu starting with the first sailing at Ningbo on 4 July 2026 with the 4,298 teu REN JIAN 8, followed in successive weeks by the 4,253 teu KOTA LUKIS, 4,578 teu DYROS, 4,250 teu NAVIOS DORADO and 3,316 teu HUA XIN 758.

MSC has launched a new Southern Loop service connecting Melbourne, Bluff, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Wellington, Nelson, Napier, Wellington, Bell Bay, Melbourne from 9 May 2026. The service turns in 21 days and deploys 3 ships - the 2,556 teu MSC HANISHA III and MSC LUCIA III with the 2,664 teu MSC RINI III. The new service will provide connections to New Zealand and Tasmania via Melbourne. MSC has also revised its existing Noumea Express service with the removal of its previous New Zealand and

X-Press Feeders will launch a new China-East Mediterranean X-Press (CEX) service by joining as a new vessel operator on the CUL/GFS Asia Med I (AEM) / Far East Med Service (FMS). X-Press Feeders will replace SeaLead's former participation on this service that was previously branded by SeaLead as the Five Seas Express (5CX). The service turns in 11 weeks using up to 11 ships of 2,400 to 5,000 teu calling at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jeddah, Alexandria, Aliaga, Ambarli, Mersin, Jeddah, P

Maersk will relaunch the Intra-Asia PH1 service in a revised rotation calling at Busan, Xingang, Qingdao, Xiamen, Manila, Nansha, Hong Kong, Busan from 6 June 2026. The service will turn in 28 days using 4 ships of 2,100 to 3,500 teu starting with the 2,174 teu PHOENIX D at Manila on 6 June.

MSC will reintroduce the FE-USWC Pearl Service connecting Yantian, Xiamen, Long Beach, Yantian from 13 June 2026 to cater to the Transpacific peak season. The service was previously operated from February 2025 to August 2025 before it was withdrawn by MSC due to weak demand. The revised Pearl service will turn in 42 days deploying up to 6 ships of 4,800 teu to 8,200 teu starting with the 4,872 teu MSC LYSE V. The initial cycle is currently scheduled with 5 ships with 1 blank sailing, with the f