MAERSK SEALAND ADDS TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE

MAERSK SEALAND ADDS TRANSPACIFIC SERVICE    Maersk Sealand is launching in mid-May an additional weekly transpacific container service calling at ports of central China and Japan.
   The “TP8” service will utilize five ships of 3,800-TEU capacity, thereby adding some 200,000 TEUs in annual one-way capacity to the trade. The service will have a rotation of Xiamen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya, Oakland and Los Angeles.
   Maersk Sealand has not previously added capacity to the Pacific trade so far this year. The launch of the service precedes the traditional peak season starting in the summer.
   The addition of a new Pacific loop means that Maersk Sealand will operate seven weekly transpacific services with its own vessels, in addition to an eighth service operated by Evergreen on which Maersk Sealand takes slots.