Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will withdraw the Gemini Cooperation's WC6/TP9 service in October 2025, with the last sailing to depart from Xiamen on 23 September 2025. The WC6/TP9 service was launched in June 2025, using 6 ships of 4,200 to 5,000 teu calling at Xiamen, Busan, Long Beach, Xiamen. The move is a change from the Gemini partners' initial plan that was announced on 3 September to blank 3 WC6/TP9 sailings in October. This plan was changed to a full suspension of the service for the remainder
The Premier Alliance partners (HMM, ONE and Yang Ming) will suspend their Pacific South 5 (PS5) service, with the last sailing by the 4,992 teu NYK CONSTELLATION to depart from Ningbo on 8 September 2025. The PS5 service was launched in June 2025 and calls at Qingdao, Ningbo, Long Beach, Qingdao with ad hoc calls at Busan and Kobe. The service turns in 6 weeks using 3 ships of 4,600 to 4,900 teu on a fortnightly frequency since July 2025.
COSCO has added a new call at Yangpu on the OCEAN Alliance PSW6 service from 10 August 2025 to offer direct connections between Hainan and the US West Coast. The revised PSW6 service will call at Cai Mep, Yangpu, Nansha, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Long Beach, Cai Mep starting from August 2025 with the former call at Hong Kong dropped. The Yangpu call on the current PSW10 service has also been dropped. The PSW6 turns in 7 weeks using ships of 13,300 to 16,800 teu from COSCO. The service is branded as S
Premier Alliance carriers (HMM, ONE and Yang Ming) will split its current Mediterranean Pacific South 2 (MS2) into 2 separate services covering the Asia-Med Mediterranean 2 (MD2) service and the Middle East Gulf-US Gulf Pacific South 2 (GS2) service. The move will allow ONE to remove 10 China built ships currently deployed on the MS2 service from the US with the planned USTR port fee scheduled to take effect from October 2025. The current MS2 service deploys up to 21 ships of 13,000-15,000 teu
The strength of the US container cargo demand remains very much in evidence, with preliminary import volume data for May and June showing imports from Asia declining by only 5.6% in the last 2 months despite the severe disruption from the Trump tariffs. Although imports from China dropped by 24% yoy, volumes from all other Asian origins recorded positive gains, led by Vietnam and Indonesia which grew by 34% and 33% respectively. The 20% tariff on Vietnamese imports announced last week will not
MSC has made the first move to withdraw excess capacity on the transpacific route with the suspension of the Pearl service that connects Cai Mep, Haiphong, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Xiamen, Long Beach. The last sailing on the Pearl service will be made by the 8,819 teu MSC ELODIE from Xiamen on 13 July 2025. The Pearl service is currently operated as part of Pearl-Shikra service since May 2025 using ships of 8,000 to 9,400 teu. The Far East-India leg is expected to be retained after the remov
CU Lines, SeaLead and TS Lines have reversed their decision to add additional tonnage on the Transpacific route in the face of rapidly declining freight rates. CU Lines will withdraw the Trans Pacific West Coast I Service (TP1) after a single sailing by the 2,758 teu CUL MANILA that started its voyage on 16 June 2025 calling at Nansha, Shekou, Ningbo, Qingdao, Los Angeles, Ningbo. The ship will be redirected to the Red Sea service after completing its current voyage at Ningbo on 31 July 2025. T
Hede Shipping will launch a 3rd independent HDS3 transpacific shuttle service connecting Nansha, Los Angeles, Nansha from 15 July 2025. The HDS3 will turn in 6 weeks and will be operated on a fortnightly frequency using 3 ships starting with the 4,298 teu REN JIAN 8 at Nansha on 15 July, followed by the 2,702 teu DORIS OCEAN on 29 July and the 4,395 teu REN JIAN 16 on 12 August.
MSC and Zim have merged their Pelican/Zim South Lotus (ZSL) and Lone Star Express/Zim Gulf Central (ZGC) service connecting the Far East with the US East Coast into a new Lone Star Express/Zim South Lotus (ZSL) service from 15 May 2025. The revised service will call at Cai Mep, Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Mobile, Houston, Tampa, Miami, Bahamas Freeport, Singapore, Cai Mep. The new Lone Star Express/Zim South Lotus (ZSL) service will turn in 13 weeks and deploys 13 ships of 8,000 to 10,000
Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) will return to the Transpacific trade from July 2025 in a partnership with UWL on the Sun Chief Express service. ESL first entered the Transpacific trade in 2006 when it partnered Zim, SCI and MacAndrews on the India-USEC Indus Express (IDX) and with Zim on the Asia-US Gulf Express (AGX). ESL shut down the IDX in December 2007 and withdrew from the AGX in May 2008 thus ending its participation on the US routes after less than 2 years in the trade. The new ESL trans