“K” Line joins Evergreen China-India loop

“K” Line joins Evergreen China-India loop

“K” Line joins Evergreen China-India loop

   The Japanese container line 'K' Line said Friday it is joining a service linking the Far East to India and Pakistan from Aug. 10.
   'K' Line will participate in the Evergreen Line-Simatech Shipping CIX2 service as a vessel operator. It will provide one of six vessels on the service, which has a rotation of Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Nhava Sheva, Karachi, Colombo, Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelapas, Singapore, and Xingang.
   The service will be run with ships in the 2,500- to 2,800-TEU range.
   The CIX2 service is currently operated with three ships each by Evergreen and Simatech. Hamburg S'd, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, is a slot buyer on the service but looks like it will drop off the service as of the current sailing, according to its online schedule.
   'K' Line already participates in another service on the trade, the five-ship Indefex also operated by Wan Hai, PIL and the Shipping Corp. of India (all four lines provide one vessel, with one currently unallocated). That service, according to ComPair Data, has a rotation of Busan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Kelang, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Singapore, and Busan.
   'K' Line is also part of a second Indefex route from China to India that calls at India's east coast ports. The rotation of the Indefex 2 is Busan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Busan. On that four-ship service, the partners are the same, except that Hanjin Shipping participates in lieu of Wan Hai.
   For 'K' Line, joining the CIX2 will add direct calls to India and Pakistan from Xingang and Qingdao. ComPair Data's Francis Phillips noted that despite 'K' Line providing a vessel on the service, the rotation does not extend to Japan. 'K' Line's network does not currently link Japan with the Indian Subcontinent, other than via relay through Busan. ' Eric Johnson