MOL shifts capacity on Japan-SE Asia trade

   The liner carrier MOL has significantly increased the size of its vessel deployed on a service linking Japan and Southeast Asia, according to research from American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data.
   On the line’s CBE service, MOL has switched out all three vessels, more than doubling the average vessel size from 1,076 TEUs to 2,495 TEUs. The CBE has a rotation of Tokyo, Yokohama, Shimizu, Nagoya, Busan, Laem Chabang, Manila, and Tokyo. South Korean carrier Heung-A Shipping is a slot taker.
   The vessel size increase on the CBE could well be linked to the deletion of another MOL service on the same trade. The line’s CBC service, which it operated jointly with Regional Container Lines, is due to end as of the Nov. 10 sailing. The CBC had a rotation of Nagoya, Tokyo, Yokohama, Shanghai, Laem Chabang, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Nagoya. It was operated with three vessels (two from MOL and one from RCL) with an average capacity of 1,097 TEUs.