MAERSK SEALAND TO RESUME TP5 PACIFIC WEST COAST SERVICE

MAERSK SEALAND TO RESUME TP5 PACIFIC WEST COAST SERVICE    Maersk Sealand will resume its Asia/U.S. West Coast TP5 service, discontinued last November when it decided to address vessel overcapacity in the transpacific trade.
   The first sailing of the TP5 transpacific link is scheduled on May 14.
   The Danish mega-carrier has not announced the exact port rotation of the service, but said that it will call at ports in China, Hong Kong and California.
   The resumption of the service will add about 200,000 TEUs a year in one-way capacity to the transpacific trade. The TP5 loop will employ five containerships, each with a capacity intake of 3,500 to 3,800 TEUs.
   However, Maersk Sealand has decided not to bring its former U.S. East Coast/Mediterranean/Suez/Asia “Suez Express” direct service back. The service was also discontinued last winter and replaced by a transshipment service.
   Maersk Sealand’s TP5 service is one of four weekly transpacific services introduced or due to be introduced by carriers this year before the peak season starts. The Grand Alliance carriers are resuming their Asia/U.S. West Coast FEX loop and launching a new Asia/U.S. East Coast service, and the New World Alliance lines plan to start another West Coast service.