Zim, Grand end Asia-Med slot agreements

   The ocean carrier Zim Line continues to cut ties with the Grand Alliance partners in the Asia-Europe trade as the carriers have ended mutual slot agreements on two loops between Asia and the Mediterranean.
   Zim will no longer purchase slots on the joint Grand Alliance and New World Alliance Asia-to-West Mediterranean service EUM, while the Grand Alliance carriers will no longer purchase slots on Zim’s Asia-to-East Mediterranean and Black Sea EMX service.
   The Grand Alliance has recently launched its own Asia-Black Sea service, dubbed ABX, along with New World Alliance members APL, Mitsui O.S.K. Line, and Hyundai Merchant Marine. The Grand Alliance comprises Japan-based NYK, Hong Kong-based OOCL and Hapag-Lloyd of Germany. 
   This change comes just a few weeks after Zim ended its slot charter agreements with the same ‘G6’ Alliance partners, comprised of the members of the Grand and New World Alliances, on the new G6 weekly Asia-Europe Loop 1, Loop 5, and Loop 6 services. Zim offset the loss in available capacity by reinstating its joint AEX2/AX2/CES2 Asia-to-North Europe service with vessel partners Evergreen and China Shipping (reported by American Shipper May 1).
   The joint Grand Alliance and New World Alliance service EUM operates with nine vessels, three each from Hapag-Lloyd and MOL, two from NYK, and one from APL, with an average capacity of 6,585 TEUs. The port rotation is Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Kelang, Jeddah, Damietta, Genoa, Marseilles, Barcelona, Valencia, Damietta, Jeddah, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Busan. 
   In a press release dated April 4, Zim announced it was adding a call at Odessa to its EMX service and in addition beginning a new slot charter agreement on the joint CSCL, Wan Hai, Yang Ming, and “K” Line Asia-Black Sea ABX service (which Zim calls ABS). According to the release, these changes are “part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its leading position in the Black Sea region.” 
   The EMX operates with 10 Zim vessels with an average capacity of 4,087 TEUs and the rotation is Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Da Chan, Port Kelang, Haifa, Istanbul (Ambarli), Odessa, Novorossiysk, Istanbul (Gemlik), Istanbul (Ambarli), Haifa, Mundra, Colombo, Port Kelang, and Busan. 
   Aside from the EMX and ABS, Zim offers one other loop, its own extended Asia-Europe AME service, with direct connections between Asia and the East Mediterranean. The AME, however, only calls at Haifa, Ashdod, and Limassol in the East Mediterranean and does not call at any ports in the Black Sea region. The EUM and ABX services represent the Grand Alliance carriers’ only direct calls in the Black Sea to or from Asia. – ComPair Data, Ben Meyer