Ocean3 makes major adjustments to Asia-Europe loops

CMA CGM, UASC and CSCL, members of the Ocean3 Alliance, have added vessels and increased total rotation time on its Asia-North Europe AEX7/AEC8 and Asia-Mediterranean MEX loops, according to BlueWater Reporting.    The Ocean3 Alliance, comprised of ocean carriers CMA CGM, CSCL and UASC, made major revisions to its AEX7/AEC8 service between Asia, North Europe and the Middle East, and its MEX service between Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, according to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting.
   The AEX7/AEC8 recently added a call to the northern French port of Le Havre and extended its total rotation time from 84 days to 91 days round, which resulted in it adding a thirteenth vessel. 
   The revised port rotation of the loop is now Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Port Kelang, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Chiwan and Ningbo.
   All three alliance members provide vessels for AEX7/AEC8, which has an average vessel capacity of 13,771 TEUs. Slot purchasers include Hanjin, Hamburg Sud, Yang Ming, “K” Line, PIL, and subsidiaries Alianca, ANL, Delmas and US Lines.
   In addition, the Ocean3 Alliance made several adjustments to its Asia-Mediterranean MEX service.
   The member carriers recently added calls to Qingdao, Beirut, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi and extended the MEX by two additional weeks, increasing the number of vessels on the service from 10 to 12 and its total rotation time from 70 days to 84 days round.
   The revised port rotation of the MEX is Xiamen, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Malta, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseilles-Fos (Fos), Malta, Beirut, Jeddah, Salalah, Abu Dhabi, Port Kelang and Xiamen.
   CMA CGM provides the vessels on the loop, which have an average capacity of 9,715 TEUs. Slot purchasers include COSCO and CMA CGM subsidiary lines ANL, Delmas and US Lines.
   In addition to the MEX, only one other container shipping service, the 2M Alliance’s AE20/Dragon, connects Beirut to other ports in both the Middle East and Asia. However, MSC’s online proformas illustrate how the 2M Alliance will move the Beirut call from its AE20/Dragon service to its AE15/Tiger service, which will then connect Beirut to both the Middle East and Asia when the 2M revamps its network next month.
   In sum, the Ocean3 Alliance offers four services from Asia to North Europe and five from Asia to the Mediterranean, deploying 47,526 TEUs and 44,237 TEUs a week, respectively, in each trade, according to BlueWater Reporting’s Capacity Report.