CSAV drops Asia/U.S. East Coast loop

CSAV drops Asia/U.S. East Coast loop    Chilean liner carrier CSAV is dropping a service linking Asia and the U.S. East Coast, according to a report this week by maritime news service Alphaliner and confirmed by American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   As of March 28, the line will drop its AMEX service, which has a rotation of Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Xingang, Busan, Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston, Savannah, New York, Charleston, Port Everglades, Kingston, Cartagena and Ningbo. According to ComPair Data, it has operated with 10 vessels with an average capacity of 4,029 TEUs (though, in February, two of the sailings were omitted).
   Alphaliner reports that the 'unexpected' suspension of the service will affect CSAV's recently announced slot exchange agreement with China Shipping on the Asia/U.S. East Coast lane, with the Chilean line dropping out of the trade altogether. CSAV was to join China Shipping's 10-ship AAE 1 service, which it jointly operates with Evergreen Line.
   That leaves CSAV's ASIAM service as its only own-operated direct link from Asia to the United States. The ASIAM loop is notable for its direct connection with the U.S. West Coast from the Indian Subcontinent and Vietnam, but it has no U.S. East Coast calls. CSAV operates vessels or takes slots on a number of services linking Asia and Central and South America, so it could still serve the U.S. East Coast via transshipment at a Central American, north coast South American, or Caribbean transshipment hub.
   For instance, cargo from Hong Kong to New York, Baltimore, Charleston or Port Everglades could be routed via CSAV's JSC service to Cartagena, then transshipped to its Americas service to the U.S. East Coast. ' Eric Johnson