CSCL redeploys idle ships

China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) has started offering two weekly Asia-Mediterranean services, restoring the carrier’s full West Mediterranean coverage, through a new joint service and slot chartering on a separate service.

For one of the services, CSCL is cooperating with United Arab Shipping Co (UASC) on the Asia-Mediterranean trade lane to provide a joint service based on UASC’s existing AMC-1 service. CSCL has reportedly named the new joint service AMX 1.

The port rotation for the AMX 1 is: La Spezia, Genoa, Fos, Valencia, Port Said, Jeddah, Khorfakkan, Port Klang, Singapore, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Yantian, Singapore, Port Klang, Port Said, La Spezia. Port Said offers transhipment to the eastern Mediterranean.

The AMX 1 service uses eight 5,600-TEU vessels "taken from the CSCL idle ship pool." It said that six of the ships are believed to be chartered by UASC and the other two are operated by CSCL.

CSCL is also said to have begun purchasing slots on the new CKYH Asia-Mediterranean Loop 2, which covers the West Mediterranean trade. CSCL is calling this service the AMX 5.

The port rotation for the AMX 5 service is: Port Said, Piraeus, Genoa, La Spezia, Barcelona, Valencia, Singapore, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Shenzhen (Shekou), Singapore and back to Port Said, Exim News Service informs.

(Source: Transport Weekly)