Zim to start Asia/Europe loop with ex-transpacific tonnage

Zim to start Asia/Europe loop with ex-transpacific tonnage

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Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. will start a weekly Asia/North Europe loop in January with tonnage taken from its soon to end Asia USA Express (AUX) service that the Israeli carrier operates with Evergreen Line.
   The East'West Express Service (EWX) will start on Jan. 15 with the departure from Shanghai of the chartered-in 4,900-TEU APL Iris. The loop will eventually deploy eight ships in the 4,250-TEU range with four vessels coming from the AUX and two from Zim’s Asia Med Pacific (AMP) service.
   The port rotation of the EWX will be Shanghai, Xiamen, Shekou, Port Kelang, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Tilbury, Le Havre and back to Shanghai.
   Zim is already present in the Asia/North Europe trade as it takes slots from China Shipping on the AEX1 service. It is also a partner between the Indian subcontinent and North Europe on the ISE service with “K” Line, MISC, the Shipping Corp. of India (SCI) and Yang Ming.
   The Haifa company said the start of the EWX is in line with its growth strategy that includes orders for about two-dozen containerships of 8,000 to 12,600 TEUs that will go into service from the end of 2008.
   Details of the new EWX service are available from ComPair Data, American Shipper’s affiliated database for global liner services, at www.compairdata.com. ' Simon Heaney