COSCO adds capacity to Pacific service

COSCO adds capacity to Pacific service    COSCO Container Lines will upgrade the capacity of its “SEA” transpacific service by about 40 percent by the end of the year, with the introduction of a series of five new 7,500-TEU “super-post-Panamax” containerships.
   Instead of ships of about 5,400 TEUs used in the SEA link, the Chinese carrier will deploy the 7,500-TEU behemoths, the largest in its fleet. The first vessel to join the service is the “COSCO Long Beach,” due to arrive at the port of Long Beach Aug. 21. The fifth new ship in the series is scheduled to be delivered in December, according to industry sources.
   The fleet changes represent the addition of about 110,000 TEUs in annual one-way capacity.
   The SEA service has a rotation of Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Long Beach, Vancouver, Yokohama and Ningbo.