GRAND ALLIANCE LAUNCHES 6TH ASIA/U.S. WEST COAST LOOP

GRAND ALLIANCE LAUNCHES 6TH ASIA/U.S. WEST COAST LOOP

    The Grand Alliance carriers — OOCL, NYK, Hapag-Lloyd and P&O Nedlloyd — are launching a sixth Asia/U.S. West Coast weekly container service at the end of July.
    Five ships of about 2,700-TEU capacity will operate the weekly link, calling at Hong Kong, Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, Los Angeles, Seattle, Busan and Hong Kong.
    The China Korea Express service will complement the alliance’s existing China/U.S. coverage and will also provide a direct link between South Korean ports and the U.S. The Grand Alliance was until now the only alliance not to provide direct service between Korea and the U.S.
    With the new CKX service, the Grand Alliance carriers will add about 140,000 TEUs in annual one-way capacity to the thriving eastbound transpacific trade, now in its peak season.
    A spokesman said that the commencement of the service is subject to approval by regulatory bodies in China.
    The new service features a 9-day transit time from Busan to Los Angeles, an 11-day transit from Qingdao to Los Angeles and a 13-day transit from Shanghai to Los Angeles.