New World Alliance enters Asia/Med trade, reshuffles transpacific ports

New World Alliance enters Asia/Med trade, reshuffles transpacific ports    The New World Alliance — APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines — now has its first services in the Asia/Mediterranean trade following the start of a previously announced cooperation with the Grand Alliance.
   The three carriers already operate in the trade on non-New World affiliated services.
   The New World Alliance now takes slots from Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad, NYK Line and OOCL on the weekly Asia/North Europe EU3 and EU4 services and the Asia/North Europe/Mediterranean EU2, and Asia/Mediterranean EUM. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines only takes space on the EU4 service.
   The cooperation pact between the two alliances, which will also involve a joint Asia/U.S. East Coast service in the coming months, was designed to counter the loss of P&O Nedlloyd’s tonnage from the Grand Alliance after the Anglo-Dutch carrier was bought by A.P. Moller-Maersk last year.
   In a separate development, the New World Alliance is altering the port rotation on four of its weekly Asia/U.S. West Coast loops, as well as incorporating a former standalone service from Hyundai.
   During the next two months the following changes will be made:
   * PS1 — Calls at Laem Chabang will be added. Calls at Oakland to be removed.
   * PS2 — Yantian to be replaced by Chiwan.
   * PNW — Will offer an end-of-week closing for its existing Hong Kong call.
   * PCX    — Former standalone Hyundai service to become part of New World’s services.
   * SAX — Laem Chabang to be removed from the rotation.