APL, part of CMA CGM, launched a New Zealand Express II (NZ2) service as from late December. The new weekly service, linking New Zealand and North Asian ports, complements the company’s New Zealand Express (NZE) service. With the launch of the NZ2 service, APL said it will offer a network of six Oceania services that connect Asia with Australia and New Zealand. The NZ2 Service will call at the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan (China), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Brisbane (Australia), Auckland, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Napier, Tauranga (New Zealand), Hong Kong (Hong Kong) and Keelung (Taiwan). The first sailing of the new service departed from Shanghai on 29th December 2016.

CMA CGM dropped the US Lines (USL) brand used on the company’s transpacific and North America-Oceania services towards the end of 2016. APL has taken over the USL transpacific services while another CMA CGM subsidiary, ANL, is taking on USL’s North America-Oceania services. California-based US Lines was founded in May 2003 and CMA CGM bought it in 2007. CMA CGM’s European Caribbean Service moved to London Gateway in the New Year, with the first call on 6th January following enhancements to the route’s rotation.

Dedicated to reefer transport, CMA CGM says the service will provide one of the shortest transit times on the market between Central America and North Europe. It also enables the UK to connect with the whole of the Caribbean region through CMA CGM’s strategic hub in Kingston, Jamaica.

Conbulk Shipping SA of Greece has disposed of its two Handysize containerships, the 16,800gt/1996 built Cresco and the 16,252gt/1997 built Sonoma. Both were built by Polish shipbuilder Stocznia Szczecin Nowa. Conbulk’s remaining fleet is comprises of nine containerships, six Handysize vessels and three Sub-Panamax vessels.

COSCO Container Lines Co. Ltd. has changed its company name to COSCO Shipping Lines Co., Ltd. The process began on 18th November 2016 with the change becoming official as of 1st January 2017.

Danaos, a Greek container ship owner, suffered an $8.4 million net loss in the third quarter of 2016 from a $42.1 million profit a year earlier thanks to the collapse of Hanjin Shipping and the associated loss of charter revenue. Three vessels with capacities of 10,100 TEU and five 3,400 TEU capacity ships on long-term fixed rate time charters were returned by Hanjin, reducing operating revenue by $24.8 million. Danaos had logged a $15.8 million write-off due to outstanding hire charter debt on the eight Hanjin-chartered ships as of 30th June. Hanjin’s creditors are now jockeying in court to get whatever payments they can from what was formerly the world’s seventhlargest container liner.