APL announced the launch of the Eagle Express X (EXX) service on 22nd February, a new weekly China-US West Coast line. The EXX service promises a hassle-free customer experience, an expeditious 11-day transit from Shanghai to Los Angeles plus swift cargo discharge with next day availability at an off-dock facility. The launch of the service follows the success of APL’s exclusive Eagle Express (EX1) service.

A few days later three new Asia-Latin America services were unveiled that will enhance links between Asia, Mexico, Central America and West Coast South America. Together with the Asia Caribbean Express (ACE) service that directly connects Asia to the Caribbean, APL’s expanded Asia-Latin America service network promises a more extensive service coverage and best-in-class transit times across the major economies in Asia and Latin America.

The weekly Condor Express (CDX) service, commencing in Kaohsiung on 4th April will link China, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Central America and West Coast South America. The Falcon Express (FCX) service will provide a weekly direct service with calls in China, Korea, Mexico and West Coast South America, with the first sailing from Xiamen departing on 7th April. The new weekly Caracara Express (CRX) service will offer swift freight links between China, Mexico and West Coast South America with the debut sailing from Hong Kong on 17th April.

CMA CGM’s EURAF 4 service was upgraded as from 19th February to cover Marseille, Barcelona, Valencia, Casablanca, Algeciras, Tangier, Dakar, Lome, Bata, Malabo, Apapa, Tincan, Onne, Kribi, Port Gentil, Libreville, Douala, Algeciras and Marseille.

The circuit has also received an additional vessel so is now operated by 9 vessels of up to 3,600 TEU nominal capacity so EURAF 4 port coverage is achieved in 63 days. The Asia-West Africa ASAF service was also upgraded in March to serve Qingdao, Xingang/Tianjin, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Pointe des Galets, Cape Town, Pointe Noire, Kribi, Luanda, Cape Town, Port Klang and back via Singapore and Qingdao. On 28th February CMA CGM announced 3 new services between Asia, Mexico and the West Coast of South America (ACSA 1/2/3) with shortened transit times, 17 ports covered and 11 CMA CGM Group ships deployed, starting 4th April 2018.

CMA CGM announced on 5th March that it was revising the Swahili Express service, reducing the voyage duration to 28 days with 4 vessels of up to 3,400 TEU nominal capacity. Due to the changes, the northbound Djibouti call was cancelled after the 10th March call, operated by the 35,573gt/2007 built Noro. Kenyan export cargo to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the USA is thus routed via Colombo (Sri Lanka) with reliable transit times. The rotation is now Nhava Sheva-Mundra-Khor Fakkan-Jebel Ali-Mombasa-Dar es Salaam-Nhava Sheva. CMA CGM’s upgrades later extended to the Indian Sub-continent and Europe when the announcement came on 9th March that the EPIC1 & EPIC2 services were being enhanced. Nine ports will now be served in the Indian Sub-Continent and Middle East Gulf, connecting 10 ports in Europe via five CMA CGM Group ships. The revised service commences on 2nd April. In partnership with HLC, MSC, COSCO and ONE. With 2-weekly and complementary services, this new offer will provide expanded port coverage, reduced transit times and improved schedule reliability. The new rotation for the EPIC1 route is Port Qasim, Nhava Sheva, Hazira, Mundra, King Abdullah, Gioia Tauro, Tangier Med, Southampton, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Dunkirk, Felixstowe, Le Havre, King Abdullah, Djibouti and Port Qasim, using two ships. The revised EPIC2 rotation will be Jebel Ali, Karashi, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jeddah, Tangier Med, Rotterdam, Hamburg, London Gateway, Antwerp, Le Havre, Tangier Med, Jeddah and Jebel Ali, using 3 ships.

Cosco Shipping’s 194,864gt/2018 built Cosco Shipping Taurus became the largest ever cargo vessel to dock at the Greek port of Piraeus on 26th February. The ability to handle a 20,000 TEU capacity ship is the result of the latest stage of Cosco’s $620 million investment in the port since acquiring it. The Cosco Shipping Taurus will be a regular visitor at the port as she plies the Silk route between China and Europe. Launched in Shanghai in June 2017, the ship is also the largest container ship ever built in China.

Lomar’s doomed containership Kea Trader has spent 8 months of her 14.5 month career on a reef but in February authorities approved the plan for the removal of the two halves of the broken ship in the South Pacific. So, after a four month tender process, Shanghai Salvage Company has been awarded the contract, as announced in early March. The 2,194 TEU Kea Trader was only six months old when it ran aground on Durand Reef on 12th July 2017 during a voyage from Papeete, in French Polynesia, to Nouméa, New Caledonia.

Maersk Line has signed contracts for two more 15,226 TEU capacity ships at Hyundai Heavy Industries. These will be the 10th and 11th in the series and are due for delivery in 2019. These newbuild options date back to a contract signed in 2015 for the construction of nine ships plus eight additional sisterships. Out of 27 ships Maersk Line ordered in 2015, 18 vessels remain to be delivered by the first quarter of 2019. Maersk’s latest next-generation Triple-E vessel, the 214,286gt/2018 built Manchester Maersk, made her debut at Felixstowe on 25th February.

The 110,632gt/2016 built and 10,081 TEU capacity containership Maersk Shanghai lost around 70 containers overboard on the night of 3rd March whilst about 17 miles off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. The ship encountered high winds (up to 65mph) and heavy seas whilst en-route from Norfolk, Virginia to Charleston, South Carolina. The loss of containers was later confirmed as being from only one cargo bay on the ship. One of the containers was reported as containing 5,913lbs of sulphuric acid, believed to be the only hazardous example lost overboard, with four containers being found soon afterwards, around 12 miles offshore. According to a 2017 survey of ocean carriers, an average of 1,390 containers are lost at sea each year.

MOL’s disabled MOL Prestige (above) arrived safely at the Port of Seattle on 4th February, over a week after an engine room fire knocked out power to the vessel and severely injured two crew members during a voyage across the Pacific Ocean. The 293m long and 6,350 TEU capacity ship suffered the fire on 31st January, two days after departing from Vancouver for Tokyo. Two crew members were critically injured in the incident and were airlifted to a hospital. The 71,902gt/2006 built MOL Prestige ended up being adrift for several days before being brought under tow by the 714gt/2016 built Denise Foss.

MPC Container Ships has reached an agreement to acquire a fleet of 14 feeder container vessels, including vessels ranging from 1,300 TEU to 2,800 TEU. Following the takeover of these ships during the first quarter of 2018, MPC Container Ships’ fleet will consist of 58 vessels.

OOCL announced on 15th February a new Middle East/Pakistan/ India to Western Mediterranean Service (WM3) for the Asia-Europe Trade to be launched in March. The WM3 provides direct links between the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Italy, Spain, France and Egypt, offering more competitive and reliable services than transshipment options. It also provides the fastest transit time to the Western Mediterranean, particularly to the Italian market. The strategic hubs in Khor Al Fakkan and Jebel Ali will provide connections to other OOCL networks in the region. The port rotation will be

Khor Al Fakkan-Jebel Ali-Karachi-Mundra-Nhava Sheva-Jeddah-Suez-Malta-La Spezia-Genova-Barcelona-Valencia-Tangier-Fos-Genova-Malta-Damietta-Suez-Jeddah-Khor Al Fakkan. The first westbound service is scheduled for 1st March and eastbound on 26th March, both employing the services of the 88,493gt/2002 built Ningbo Express.

Samskip introduced from mid-March a new shortsea and multimodal service between Amsterdam and Hull, seen as a major enhancement in its services between The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The service departs from Amsterdam on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and augments Samskip’s existing Rotterdam-Hull operation and runs alongside shortsea and multimodal services into Tilbury and Grangemouth.