CKYH, MOL modify Asia/East Coast service

CKYH, MOL modify Asia/East Coast service    CKYH Alliance shipping lines COSCO, 'K' Line, Yang Ming, and Hanjin Shipping along with MOL will offer a revised service via the Suez Canal between Asia and ports on the North America East Coast, beginning in mid-May.
   The new AWE-4 service will deploy nine 5,500-TEU ships with seven ships supplied by “K” Line and two by MOL. The service previously used eight 4,700-TEU vessels supplied by “K” Line and transited the Panama Canal.
   The service is adding direct calls at Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla.
   “This is a significant modification of the CKYH AWE-4 all-water Asia/U.S. East Coast loop via Panama. In the future it will be redirected via Suez instead of Panama, giving significantly improved transit times to the North American East Coast from Vietnam,” said Francis Phillips, analyst with American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   “This is the third instance of a strengthening an all-Japanese Asia/North America partnership between 'K' Line and MOL, following their recent formation of two jointly run services between Asia and the West Coast of North America, the CKYH/MOL ' NOWCO-A/PNW/PN1 and the New World Alliance/CKYH/Evergreen/CMACGM ' JAS/PSW3/CALCO-A,” he said.
   The new service commences with the sailing of the Suez Canal Bridge on May 15 from Shekou. Port rotation is Ho Chi Minh City, Shekou, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Savannah, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City. ' Chris Dupin