Maersk Sealand considers Pacific capacity cuts after Chinese New Year

Maersk Sealand considers Pacific capacity cuts after Chinese New Year    Maersk Sealand, the largest box carrier in the transpacific trade, is considering reducing its ship capacity in the Pacific trade immediately after Chinese New Year.
   “We are looking at suspending individual sailings… not individual strings,” said Jorgen Harling, vice president in charge of planning at Maersk Sealand.
   Contrary to the New World Alliance and the Grand Alliance, the Danish mega-carrier has not suspended any transpacific loops during the off-peak transpacific season this year.
   Harling said his company expects weak cargo liftings in the three-week period starting Jan. 26.
   Maersk Sealand operates five Asia/U.S. West Coast weekly strings and two Asia/U.S. East Coast weekly services via Panama, providing a total eastbound capacity of about 28,000 TEUs a week, according to the global liner-shipping database ComPairData.