CKYH Alliance rationalizing transpacific network
The CKYH Alliance of COSCO Container Lines, 'K' Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping are preparing a major restructuring of their services in the Far East/U.S. West Coast trade, that will see a reduction of about 2,000 TEUs in weekly vessel capacity according to American Shipper calculations.
From the end of June, the Asian carriers will initiate the following changes:
' Five 3,725-TEU ships will transfer from the YM-PNW to the PSW2, which currently uses five vessels averaging 5,510 TEUs. The PSW2 will also change its port configuration to Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Los Angeles, Oakland, Keelung, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong.
' The Y-PNW will instead be operated by five vessels averaging 3,599 TEUs that were previously deployed on the PSW4 loop. The rotation of the Y-PNW will become Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Ningbo, Busan, Tacoma, Vancouver and Kaohsiung. The change introduces Shanghai and Ningbo but drops Portland, Hong Kong and Yantian.
' The PSW4 and PSW5 are to be merged and will use the five ships averaging 5,510 TEUs taken from the PSW2. The rotation of the new PSW4 will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Qingdao, Los Angeles, Oakland, Kwangyang and Shanghai. As previously stated the PSW4 has used five vessels with an average weekly capacity of 3,599 TEUs and had a rotation of Shanghai, Ningbo, Los Angeles, Oakland, Kwangyang and Shanghai. The PSW5 presently deploys five 1,800-TEU ships calling Lianyungang, Qingdao, Xingang, Busan, Oakland, Los Angeles and Lianyungang.
' The K-PNW — currently with five ships averaging 5,618 TEUs — will be merged with the Asia/Europe AES-2 to create a pendulum operation calling Kobe, Tokyo, Nagoya, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Said, Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Le Havre, Port Said, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yantian, Xiamen, Nagoya, Tokyo, Tacoma, Vancouver, Portland and Kobe. The K-PNW/AES-2 service will operate with 13 ships said to be in the 5,500-TEU range. The change will introduce Portland, Xiamen and Singapore but drop Shanghai from the current K-PNW port coverage.
“With this modification, CKYH Alliance aims not only to streamline CKYH transpacific service alignment, but also to reduce CO2 emissions by optimum navigation speed. This is one of the action plans followed by the consensus of CKYH Summit Meeting held in Okinawa last month,” the carriers said in a joint statement.
“Separate from above service rationalization, it is also confirmed by CKYH Alliance that a series of strategies for better service quality will be made in order to successfully meet customer requirements and benefits. CKYH Alliance will further discuss and study the TPS services adjustment plan to cater to our customer requirements.” ' Simon Heaney
