CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC launch two joint China-California services

CMA CGM, MAERSK and MSC, the world's three biggest container lines, are launching two joint services in April, the "Yangtze", serving central and south China, and the "Bohai Rim", serving central and north China.
The new services will deploy ten 8 000 TEU vessels (5 on each loop) creating a weekly direct service between China and the United States.
For the Yangtze service, the rotation will be: Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Qingdao, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
For the Bohai Rim service the rotation will be: Dalian, Tianjin Xingang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Long Beach, Oakland and Dalian
This rationalises current services into a more powerful customer-responsive offering, said a CMA CGM statement. They also provide customers with extensive port coverage in China with direct calls twice a week between China (Hong Kong, Yantian and Shanghai) and California ports.
"The development of the two new services comes as a replacement of existing capacity in the trade. This rationalisation of our service will strengthen our China coverage and responds nicely to customer needs for an increased presence in North China," said Jean-Philippe Thenoz, CMA CGM vice president.