Zim announces changes in U.S.-Mediterranean services

   Zim said Wednesday it will restructure its services between the United States and Mediterranean in cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd. Zim said the changes, aimed at introducing improved products and better services, are to be made in the third quarter, subject to approval by the Federal Maritime Commission.
    Zim said the changes will affect three services:

• ZIM’s flagship service, ZIM Container Service Atlantic, covering the East and West Mediterranean and the U.S East Coast. The company said the service will expand its scope, and final rotation details to be published shortly.
• Med-Gulf Express , connecting the Mediterranean to the U.S. Gulf, Central America and Caribbean, with a new call at Kingston, Zim’s hub in the Caribbean. The rotation will be: Cagliari, Salerno, Livorno, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, Kingston, Vera Cruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Cagliari 
• Med-Pacific Service, connecting the Mediterranean and U.S. West Coast. The rotation will be: Tangier, Valencia, Cagliari, Livorno, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Los Angeles, Oakland, Tangier.

   Zim said additional details will be published shortly.
   The restructuring of the Mediterranean service follow Zim’s announcement last week that as of mid-May, it will launch a new service structure between Asia and the West Coast of North America, in cooperation with the G6 alliance.
   In the Pacific Northwest, Zim said it will offer three weekly loops with the following rotations:

• North Pacific 1 (NP1): Singapore – Laem Chabang – Da Chan Bay – Hong Kong – Yantian – Vancouver – Tacoma – Seattle – Pusan – Kaohsiung
• North Pacific 2 (NP2): Hong Kong – Yantian –Kaohsiung – Shanghai – Pusan – Tacoma – Seattle – Vancouver – Yokohama – Pusan – Kwangyang
• North Pacific 3 (NP3): Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Pusan – Vancouver – Tacoma – Vancouver – Tokyo – Nagoya – Kobe