Maersk trimming Asia/Caribbean/Mexico service

Maersk trimming Asia/Caribbean/Mexico service Maersk Line in October will drop direct calls at Manzanillo, Panama, and Kingston, Jamaica, from its weekly AC1 loop connecting ports in China, Korea and Japan with the Caribbean Basin and Mexico.
   The change will allow the Danish line to reduce the number of vessels on the service from eight to seven. Maersk said the AC1 service will connect to the Caribbean markets from its continuing call at its Balboa, Panama, feeder hub.
   The revised AC1 will use ships in the 4,000-TEU to 5,000-TEU range with a port rotation of Xingang; Qingdao; Ningbo; Shanghai; Kwangyang; Yokohama; Balboa; Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico; Yokohama; and back to Xingang.
   The 4,000-TEU vessel Maersk Malacca will make the first eastbound voyage on the new rotation when it departs Xingang on Oct. 5.