COSCO, Yang Ming firm up new PNW service

COSCO, Yang Ming firm up new PNW service    COSCO Container Lines and Yang Ming are finalizing their plan to start a second China/Pacific Northwest service in June.
   The new service will call at Shanghai, Tacoma, Vancouver and Shanghai, according to Yang Ming.
   The two Asian carriers’ existing China/Pacific Northwest service will run alongside the new service, but will be changed to focus on Hong Kong and ports of South China. A Yang Ming official also said the existing service will continue to call at the ports of Seattle, Wash. and Vancouver, British Columbia in North America. The final port rotation of the service has not been decided by the carriers.
   In a separate development, COSCO and Yang Ming are discussing the possibility of starting their first all-water Asia/U.S. Gulf Coast service via the Suez Canal. However, Yang Ming said the discussions are at an early stage and any new service via Suez would be subject to the availability of suitable tonnage.
   Ocean carriers and shippers are anxious to have alternative transpacific routes or gateways to avoid congestion delays at the Californian ports during the peak season.
   COSCO recently said it expects a return of congestion at U.S. West Coast ports later this year, and will therefore enlarge its capacity to the Pacific Northwest.