ZIM MERGES ASIA/MED, TRANSPACIFIC LINKS INTO PENDULUM SERVICE

ZIM MERGES ASIA/MED, TRANSPACIFIC LINKS INTO PENDULUM SERVICE    Zim Israel Navigation Co. is integrating two single-trade services in into a multitrade “pendulum” service called the Asia-Med Pacific.
   From next month, the new Mediterranean/Suez/Asia/West Coast of North America pendulum service will incorporate the present five-ship transpacific Zim Pacific Service loop and the 10-vessel Asia/Med service.
   Zim said the resulting global service will connect the Mediterranean, Far East and the West Coast of North America, providing an improved service between Southeast Asia, China and North America and supported by feeder services.
   The Asia-Med Pacific weekly service will employ 14 vessels of 2,500 to 3,000-TEU capacity and will have a rotation of Venice, Trieste, Piraeus, Haifa, Colombo, Singapore, Shekou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Pusan, Vancouver, Seattle, Pusan, Shanghai, Shekou, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Port Said, Haifa, Alexandria and Koper.
   The Zim Pacific Service, replaced by the new operation, had a rotation of Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle; Kwangyang; Shekou; Hong Kong; Shanghai; Busan; Vancouver; and Seattle. It did not provide direct calls at Singapore.
   Norasia Container Lines charters slots on both the Zim Pacific Service loop and the Asia-Med service, and will participate in the revised operation.
   The service reshuffle also represents the addition of some capacity in the transpacific trade. Instead of the current weekly capacity of about 1,700 TEUs a week of the Zim Pacific Service, the Asia-Med Pacific will provide a weekly lift of 2,500 to 3,000 TEUs in each direction.
   China Shipping Container Lines, which exchanges space with Zim in the transpacific, is expected to take space on the Asia-Med Pacific vessels.