Zim adds Chinese calls on Asia/Europe loops

Zim adds Chinese calls on Asia/Europe loops    Container line Zim said last week it is adding calls at Chinese ports on the two Asia/Europe services it wholly operates.
   On the EMX service, the line said it will add a call at Qingdao as of Dec. 29, giving a new rotation of Qingdao, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Da Chan Bay, Port Klang, Colombo, Haifa, Ashdod, Istanbul, Novorossiysk, Constanta, Istanbul, Haifa, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Port Klang and Qingdao.
   According to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, the service already calls at Qingdao. ComPair Data shows the service operated with 10 Zim vessels with an average capacity of 4,313 TEUs. Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, NYK Container Line and OOCL, as well as China Shipping take slots on the service.
   Meanwhile, Zim said it will also add an eastbound call at Xiamen on its AME service, which, as of Dec. 27, will have a rotation of Shanghai, Da Chan Bay, Cai Mep, Port Klang, Nhava Sheva, Haifa, Ashdod, Felixtowe, Antwerp, Hamburg, Alexandria, Limassol, Haifa, Ashdod, Port Klang, Xiamen and Shanghai. That service is operated with 11 Zim vessels averaging 3,593 TEUs. Zim's Asia subsidiary Gold Star Line takes slots.
   Zim only operates two other vessels on the Far East/Europe lane — on an express China service to northern Europe on an eight-ship loop it operates with China Shipping (four vessels) and Evergreen Line (two vessels). Zim also takes slots on the Grand Alliance's three main Asia/Europe services and a joint Grand Alliance/New World Alliance Asia/Mediterranean loop. ' Eric Johnson