Maersk to merge U.S. East Coast/East Coast South America loops

Maersk to merge U.S. East Coast/East Coast South America loops    Denmark’s Maersk Line will in October merge two of its weekly services in the East Coasts of North and South America trade, NASA 1 and NASA 2, into one loop.
   The NASA 1 service will cease southbound calls Oct. 19 when the vessel “Maersk Nanhai” calls New York. The last northbound call by the ship will be from Montevideo on Nov. 9.
   The rotation of the NASA 1 is New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, Savannah, Miami, Santos, Montevideo, Rio Grande, Itajai, Santos, Kingston and back to New York. The service deploys six ships of about 2,500 TEUs. APL and MOL take space on the loop.
   The last southbound sailing of the NASA 2 will be made by the vessel “Maersk Nara” at Miami Sept. 25. The same vessel will make the last northbound voyage at Paranagua Oct. 13.
   NASA 2 has a rotation of Miami, Charleston, Norfolk, New York, Paranagua, Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos, Sepetiba, Salvador, Suape, and Miami. NASA 2 uses five ships averaging 2,400 TEUs. APL, CMA CGM, and MOL take slots.
   The merged service will commence Oct. 25 with the departure of the “Nedlloyd Clarence” from New York. The full rotation will be New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Port Everglades, Santos, Rio Grande, Itajai, Santos, Salvador, Suape, Kingston and back to New York.