MSC joins Oceania-California PSW loop

   Mediterranean Shipping Co. said Friday it is joining a loop connecting Oceania ports with the U.S. West Coast operated by a consortium of carriers.
   The Pacific South West loop is operated by Hamburg Sud, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk Line and ANL. MSC will market its space on the service as Oceania Express 1.
   The rotation for the service is Melbourne, Sydney, Tauranga, Oakland, Long Beach, Auckland, and Melbourne. It’s operated with seven vessels (four from CMA CGM subsidiary ANL, two from Hamburg Sud, one from Hapag-Lloyd and two currently unconfirmed) with an average capacity of 2,596 TEUs, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   MSC’s slots on the service will be offered from Dec. 24. CMA CGM, Alianca, and U.S. Lines (another CMA CGM subsidiary) also take slots on the service.
   In mid-November, MSC extended a slot charter agreement with some of the same carriers to provide service from Oceania to the U.S. East Coast.