Grand, New World join Asia/West Med loops

Grand, New World join Asia/West Med loops The New World Alliance's three members — APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and MOL — will join Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, MISC, NYK Line and OOCL on a revised Asia-West Mediterranean service.
   The two alliances said Friday their joint service run an eight-vessel string using roughly 6,000-TEU ships, with Grand Alliance carriers providing six of the ships and New World carriers the other two.
   The service, which the Grand Alliance markets as the EUM and the New World Alliance as the MED, connects the Far East, Southeast Asia and the Middle East with West Med ports. For the Grand Alliance, the joint service allows its customers to add Busan, Valencia and Chiwan. For the New World carriers, new port coverage is added at Jeddah, Busan, Shekou and Valencia.
   The revised service starts Dec. 23. Port rotation is Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Shekou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Klang, Jeddah, Damietta, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Damietta, Singapore, Hong Kong and Busan.