It appears OOCL will be joining a similar service announced in late July by Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL’s partner in the Grand Alliance. While the service was not designated as a GA loop by Hapag-Lloyd, the German line told American Shipper its alliance partners were welcome to join the loop, which advertises a nine-day transit time eastbound and westbound.
The service could well be designed to compete with MSC, which provides similar service from its European hub in Antwerp, but with slower transit times, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, which says MSC’s transit times between Antwerp and New York range from 12 to 15 days.
