Carriers boost capacity on Asia/U.S. Gulf all-water link

Carriers boost capacity on Asia/U.S. Gulf all-water link    CMA CGM and P&O Nedlloyd will increase the capacity of their joint, direct Asia/U.S. Gulf/Caribbean service by about 50 percent, as they seek to take advantage of the increasing demand for all-water services that bypass the congested ports of California.
   CMA CGM said larger ships of about 4,000 TEU capacities will be introduced gradually into the all-water service, starting with the 4,250-TEU “CMA CGM Yantian” in Busan Nov. 4. The service employs eight vessels averaging about 2,600 TEUs in capacity.
   The weekly link has a rotation of Shanghai, Shekou, Hong Kong, Busan, Manzanillo (Mexico), Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston (Jamaica), Houston, Manzanillo (Panama), Manzanillo (Mexico), Shanghai, Shekou, Hong Kong and Busan. It is the only direct Asia/U.S. Gulf Coast container service, although there are now numerous all-water services between Asia and the U.S. East Coast.
   China Shipping takes space on the Asia/U.S. Gulf Coast all-water service.
   In a separate development, CMA CGM confirmed that it and partner Mediterranean Shipping Co. have stopped calling at the port of Busan within their joint Asia/California “Pearl River Express” service.