APL is to launch in August a new weekly China Australia Service 6 (CA6) that will connect ports in central and southern China to the largest cities in eastern Australia. The first CA6 sailing is scheduled to depart on 17th August from Ningbo. The service will call at the ports of Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Designed to provide the industry’s fastest transit times, CA6 promises to deliver shipments from Yantian and Shanghai to Sydney in 11 and 14 days respectively. The CA6 will complement APL’s existing China Australia Service (CAS), China Australia Service 2 (CA2) and China Australia Service 3 (CA3) that provide weekly coverage between China and Australia. The company is also boosting its signature Eagle Express 1 (EX1) service with an enhanced offering that will cut westbound transit times as well as help meet the demands of delivering supplies to U.S troops overseas. In line with the service enhancement and upholding a longstanding tradition, APL is naming the six vessels deployed for the service after former US Presidents, namely President FD Roosevelt, President Wilson, President Cleveland, President Truman, President Eisenhower and President Kennedy, continuing a legacy that began in the 1920s that has seen some 90 APL ships named after US Presidents. Five of the six vessels are new to the EX1 service. Commencing from Qingdao on 20th July 2018, the enhanced EX1 service’s new port rotation will be: Qingdao-Shanghai-Busan-Los Angeles-Oakland-Yokohama-Naha-Busan-Qingdao.

CMA CGM is enhancing the ASAF service operated with a fleet of 12 vessels up to 8,750 TEU nominal capacity. Effective from the CMA CGM Bianca’s call in Qingdao on 7th July 2018, ASAF now has the modified port rotation of Busan-Tianjin/Xingang-Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Nansha-Tanjung Pelepas-Singapore-Cape Town-Pointe Noire-Kribi-Luanda-Cape Town-Port Kelang-Singapore-Busan. Transit times from Qingdao to West Africa will benefit from a shorter transit time of up to 7 days with Lagos, Nigeria from Qingdao being achieved in 41 days. Effective from the end of June 2018, the EURAF 4 service operated with a fleet of 9 vessels of up to 3,650 TEU capacity offers a faster direct link between Italy and West Africa. Starting with the calls of the 35,881gt/2006 built Leto, the port rotation will be Genoa-Livorno-Marseille-Barcelona-Valencia-Algeciras-Tangier-Dakar-Lome-Cotonou-Bata-Malabo-Kribi-Onne-Port Gentil-Libreville-Douala-Lome-Genoa. Via the Ocean Alliance, CMA CGM announced a reshuffle of its Asia-Middle East services on 5th July, to take effect in late July. The Ocean Alliance Day Two service will offer 4 routes in total between Far East and Middle East ports. The CIMEX 1 and CIMEX 3 will be merged into one loop covering most of the ports previously offered. The New CIMEX 1 rotation becomes: Tianjin-Busan-Qingdao-Shanghai-Shekou-Singapore-Sohar-Jebel Ali-Hamad-Dammam-Jubail-Singapore-Tianjin.

Jacques R. Saadé, founding president of the CMA CGM Group, passed away on 24th June at the age of 81.

Containerships, a leader in intra-regional transportation in Northern Europe, is set to be acquired by CMA CGM, subject to approval by the relevant authorities. Founded in 1966, Containerships is an Intra-European Shortsea specialist with a strong presence in the Baltic market, Russia, Northern Europe, North Africa and Turkey. With a workforce of 560 people, Containerships offers its customers a complete range of services, as well as logistics solutions by ship, truck, rail and barges.  Containerships’ network will efficiently complement CMA CGM and its affiliate MacAndrews. The company will take delivery of four LNG-fuelled vessels between August 2018 and January 2019 and the acquisition of Containerships will further strengthen the development strategy of CMA CGM.

COSCO Shipping took delivery of the latest 21,237 TEU capacity ultra-large container ship on 12th June from the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) in Shanghai. The 21,553gt/2018 built and 22 knot COSCO Shipping Universe is 400m long with a 58.6m beam. Her maximum cargo capacity is 198,000t and Jiangnan Shipyard will produce five more such container ships for COSCO Shipping for delivery by 2019. One day later the company took delivery of the 14,500 TEU capacity newbuild COSCO Shipping Denali. The naming and delivery ceremony for the 366m long and 51.20m beam ULCV was held at Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding. The 155,500dwt COSCO Shipping Denali is the company’s fourth 14,500 TEU containership that will serve the European route. Sister vessels from the “Mountain Class” series, namely COSCO Shipping Himalayas/ Kilimanjaro and COSCO Shipping Alps were handed over to the company in July and December 2017 and January 2018 respectively. By the end of 2018 COSCO Shipping will have received 11 23,137 TEU capacity “Universe Class” and 7 newbuilds from the 14,568 TEU capacity “Mountain Class” and 13,800 TEU capacity “Flower Class” series. COSCO also welcomed the COSCO Shipping Capricorn to the fleet at the Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) shipyard in June. This is the third 20,000 TEU capacity, 400m long and 58.6m beam ship of this class and is now deployed on COSCO’s Mediterranean route in Europe.

Diana Containerships of Greece has completed the sale of one of its Post-Panamax vessels, the 73,934gt/2006 built Puelo (above). The 6,541 TEU ship has been delivered to her new owner and details were not disclosed. However, all indications are that the ship went to MOL.

Evergreen is expanding its container transport options for customers between Asia and Australia by teaming up with Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and APL to provide a new weekly Central & South China-Australia Express (CAE) service. Five classic Panamax ships with capacities averaging 4,600 TEU will be deployed on the new service. Two will be operated by Evergreen Line and the remaining three by HMM and APL. The first sailing is scheduled around mid-August, with regular port calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The CAE service will augment the line’s two current weekly services (NEAX and CAT) that call at ports in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Australia. The expansion in services is in response to the increasing trade demand on the route.

Global Ship Lease Inc. took delivery of a 28,927gt/2005-built and 2,800 TEU capacity containership, now named GSL Valerie, in June. Shortly after delivery the GSL Valerie commenced charter employment with CMA CGM for a period of 12 months at a fixed rate of $9,000 per day. The Company’s fleet now comprises 19 vessels with a total capacity of 85,112 TEU.

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced in June that it has selected three Korean shipbuilders (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries) for its super-large eco-friendly container ships. The total order amount is estimated at three trillion Won. HMM negotiated delivery time and prices with the shipbuilders after sending out requests for proposals (RFPs) on 10th April.  An order for seven of the twelve 23,000-TEU capacity vessels will be placed with DSME, which can deliver the ships in the second quarter of 2020, while Samsung Heavy Industries will take an order for five 23,000-TEU capacity containerships. The company also decided to place an order for eight 14,000-TEU capacity vessels with Hyundai Heavy Industries, which can deliver them in the second quarter of 2021. HMM will deploy the twelve 23,000-TEU capacity ships on its Asia-North Europe route, and use eight 14,000-TEU ships for its Korea-U.S east coast services.

Maersk Line is continuing its development in Marseille Fos with a new direct service to the Middle East. This new service will offer calls to the main markets of the Middle East and will also improve current service to Indian Ocean Islands through improved reliability and transit times. Seven ships are carrying out the round trips for this new ME2 service. The first call at Fos sur Mer was on 10th July before continuing to Gênes, Port Said, Jeddah, Salalah, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Al Jubayl, and Abu Dhabi.

Matson christened the largest containership ever built in the U.S.A in a ceremony at the Philly Shipyard on 30th June. The new vessel is named Daniel K. Inouye (above) in honour of Hawaii’s late senior U.S. Senator, who was a longstanding supporter of the U.S. maritime industry. This is the first of two new ships being built for Honolulu-based Matson by Philly Shipyard at a total cost of approximately $418 million for the pair, and the first of four newbuilds that the company add to its Hawaii services during the next two years. The 49,000gt, 24 knot and 3,600 TEU capacity ship has been designed specifically to serve Hawaii and built with LNG-compatible engines.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) has taken delivery of the 145,251gt/2018 built ONE Stork, its first magenta hulled newbuild containership, with a carrying capacity of 14,000 TEU. The ship was delivered at the Kure Shipyard of Japan Marine United Corporation and is operated by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line). The 139,500dwt ONE Stork is 364m long with a beam of 50.60m. The new ship employs a hull form that allows improved cargo-loading efficiency achieved by minimised engine-room space. Moreover, the vessel has a dual output range in her main engine which permits the selection of two output ranges (high and low) for flexible operation and an improved fuel consumption rate. The ONE Stork has been introduced on THE Alliance’s Asia to North America (East Coast) EC4 service with her port rotation being Kaohsiung-Hong Kong-Yantian-Cai Mep-Singapore-New York-Norfolk-Savannah-Charleston-New York and Singapore. The first call on the maiden voyage was Hongkong International Terminals Limited on 19th June. On 22nd June she called at Cai Mep (above).

MPC Container Ships has raised $50 million through a private placement to invest in further containerships.

Navios Maritime Containers Inc. has agreed to acquire five containerships for a total purchase price of $246m.  The Company expects to take delivery of all five vessels in the third quarter of 2018. The company also acquired options for an additional four containerships for a purchase price of $36m per vessel. All of the acquisitions are subject to certain conditions, and there can be no assurances.

Navios Containers agreed to acquire one 6,800 TEU capacity containership, the 74,651gt/2006 built Hyundai Hongkong, for $36m from Navios Maritime Partners L.P. Navios Containers will also have options to acquire four additional 6,800 TEU capacity containerships from Navios Partners for $36m per ship. Each of the four vessels are sister ships to the Hyundai Hongkong and have identical time charter employment in place.

Ocean Yield of Norway has announced the acquisition of four 3,800 TEU capacity containerships which are assigned to 12-year bareboat charters with Belgium’s CMB. The vessels concerned are the 41,286gt/2014 built CMB-owned Barcelona Express, Detroit Express, Genoa Express, and Livorno Express and appear to be subject to a sale/lease back arrangement with the option to buy the ships after the 5th year.

OOCL’s takeover by China Cosco Shipping Holdings was confirmed on 29th June after approval was given by the Anti-monopoly Bureau of China for the takeover of Hong Kong’s OOIL, the parent of container shipping line OOCL. The company is upgrading the A3 route from August to provide a more competitive service in both directions and comprehensive coverage in the North East Asia/Australia market.

The A3N port rotation will remain unchanged as Yokohama-Osaka-Busan-Qingdao-Shanghai-Kaohsiung-Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane-Yokohama. Effective from the southbound voyage with an ETA in Shanghai of 9th August, the AC3 port rotation will include additional Northbound calls as follows: Shanghai-Ningbo-Sydney- Melbourne-Brisbane-Kaohsiung-Xiamen-Ningbo-Shanghai. The southbound A3S service, as from 10th August in Xiamen, will offer the port rotation of Xiamen-Shekou-Brisbane-Xiamen.

In a further change, The Ocean Alliance offered a total of four loops serving Asia and Middle East ports from the end of July with competitive transit times following the merging of the current ME2 product into the ME1 to form a single loop. Service coverage will continue to include Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Pusan, Southeast Asia as well as major port calls to the Middle East region.

Pacific International Lines (PIL) of Singapore has added capacity to the Asia-East coast of South America (ECSA) service, increasing the frequency from fortnightly to weekly. Owing to growing cargo volumes to/from both Argentina and Brazil, PIL is adding 16,000 TEU of capacity, which will boost overall volume on the service to 360,000 TEU after months where space has been scarce on ships.

SITC International Holdings of China has placed an order for the construction of two container vessels from China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The $58 million order for the 34,800dwt duo was revealed on 26th June.

The first ship is scheduled for delivery by the end of September 2020, while the second vessel is set to join her owner by the end of November 2020.

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation confirmed the charter for ten newbuilding containerships with Costamare and Shoei Kisen in early July.

The two Shipowners will order five containerships each, ranging between 11,000 and 12,000 TEU in capacity, for delivery 2020-2021 and subsequent long-term time charter by Yang Ming. The Taiwanese company will also order ten 2,800 TEU capacity ships as part of its fleet renewal.