6 carriers are teaming up to expand their current Vietnam/Thailand-India-Middle East Gulf service into an extended butterfly service that will offer 2 separate loops connecting the following ports: * Loop 1 : Laem Chabang, Singapore, Port Klang, Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Nhava Sheva, Port Klang, Cai Mep * Loop 2 : Cai Mep, Jakarta, Port Klang, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Mundra, Port Klang, Laem Chabang 6 carriers (CMA CGM, China United Lines (CUL), Emirates Shipping Line (ESL),
Unifeeder, China United Lines (CUL), Milaha and Sinokor will jointly launch a new China-Middle East Gulf Express (CGE/CGX/MGX/SGX1) service from May 2024 calling at Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Jebel Ali, Shanghai. The CGE/CGX/MGX/SGX1 will turn in 35 days and deploys 5 ships of 2,400-3,000 teu starting from 20 May 2024. Unifeeder will operate 2 ships (the 3,006 teu CELCIUS ESSEN and CELSIUS EINDHOVEN), while CUL, Milaha and Sinokor will operate one ship each (the 2,518 teu ZHONG GU YING KOU, 2,8
China United Lines (CUL) and Interasia Lines (IAL) will launch a new South China –Vietnam–Thailand service, marketed respectively as the SCT2 and SVT from 14 March 2024. The SCT2/SVT will call at Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Nansha, Chiwan, Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Bangkok. The service will turn in 2 weeks and deploy the 1,756 teu INTERASIA VISION and a second vessel to be operated by CUL.
China United Lines have introduced a new Red Sea Service (REX) to connect China and Jeddah amidst the on-going Red Sea crisis that has seen a reduction in the number of ships able to serve the Red Sea region. The REX service calls at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jeddah, Qingdao with a single 2,786 teu ship (CUL MANILA) deployed since 28 December 2023. The service turns in around 30 to 35 days on a monthly frequency.
The Vietnam Gulf India/RCL Gulf Asean/Vietnam Gulf Express/Saigon Gulf Service (VGI/RGA/VGX/SGS) service jointly operated by ESL, KMTC, RCL, CU Lines and Global Feeder Shipping will be upgraded from the 2,500 teu scale to 5,500 teu starting from September 2023, with CMA CGM joining as the 6th partner in the service who brands it as the Vietnam Gulf India (VGI) service. The service was first launched in January 2022 using up to 5 ships of 2,000-2,700 teu and called initially at Ho Chi Minh City,
China United Lines (CUL) Chairman and CEO Raymond Chen Honghui has appeared in public for the first time since June at an internal meeting on 8 August 2023 in Shanghai. However, former co-CEO Lar Christiansen has left the post earlier this year, less than 18 months after he was appointed on 18 November 2021. The company confirmed the suspension of its European and North American services in 2023, and have shifted its focus on its China-Taiwan, South East Asia and Indian Subcontinent/Middle East
CU Lines’ global expansion plans have been derailed with the withdrawal of its last 2 ships on the Asia-Med and Asia-USWC routes. CUL’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) bid first launched in January 2022 has already been withdrawn, and its goal of operating a fleet of 45 ships for 160,000 teu by 2025 will not be achieved with its current operated fleet shrinking by 67% from its peak in 2022 to just 30,700 teu currently. CUL has a remaining orderbook of 6 ships with a total capacity of 24,200 teu in
CU Lines have made its last voyages on the Asia-Europe and Transpacific routes, ending its brief foray into the main East-West routes and will henceforth refocus on its core intra-Asia and Far East-India Subconinent & Middle East routes. The move will effectively terminate its planned Initial Public Offering (IPO) that was launched in Hong Kong on January 2022. The last Asia-Europe sailing was made by the 1,912 teu ZHONG GU NAN HAI on its Asia-East Mediterranean (AEM) service that called at Amb
RCL and CUL have added a new call at Sihanoukville on their jointly operated RBC1/BC1 (RCL Bangkok China 1/China-Thailand Service 1) service. The revised rotation of the RBC1/BC1 will be Ningbo, Shanghai, Sihanoukville, Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Ningbo starting from 10 August 2023. The service turns in 3 weeks, and currently deploys 2 ships of 1,200-1,500 from RCL and one 1,930 teu ship from CUL.
Evergreen has teamed up with PIL, CUL and RCL to launch a new China-India service that will call Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Singapore, Port Klang Westport, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Karachi, Port Klang Westport, Singapore, Haiphong, Shanghai using 6 ships of 2,700-5,400 teu on a 42-days round trip. The service will be branded as the China-India Express 4 (CIX4) by Evergreen, China-Subcontinent Express (CSE) by PIL, China India III (CIS) by CUL and RCL China West Asia (RWA) by RCL. The service will