Maersk/CMA CGM Med loop slows, adds Beirut

   The ocean carriers Maersk Line and CMA CGM have added a new westbound port call at Beirut, Lebanon, and a tenth vessel to a weekly Asia-Mediterranean joint service dubbed AE12 by Maersk and Phoenician Express (BEX2) by CMA CGM.
   Roundtrip voyage time on the AE12 has increased from 63 days to 70 days.
   While transit times between Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean in both directions remain roughly the same as before, eastbound transit times to China and South Korea have increased by about seven days as vessels will now slow steam one extra week between Singapore and Shanghai on the return leg.
   The AE12 service has a revised rotation of Shanghai, Busan, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Beirut, Trieste, Koper, Rijeke, Trieste, Port Said, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore, and Shanghai. The service is currently operated with 10 vessels, five each from Maersk and CMA CGM, with an average capacity of 6,460 TEUs.
   Maersk and CMA CGM currently operate three other dedicated joint weekly services between Asia and the Mediterranean, the AE3/BEX, the AE11/MEX, and the AE20/MEX3. Of these, however, only the AE20/MEX3 also calls at Beirut westbound from Asia. –ComPair Data, Ben Meyer