China’s two major container operators, China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and China Ocean Shipping Co (Cosco) are widening their service coverage over China and southeast Asia.
CSCL has extended coverage of its Asia/America/Thailand service to southern China, and has started including eastbound calls at Yantian. This pendulum service, introduced earlier this year, serves the Middle East over Dubai, the Indian sub-continent, southeast and central Asia, China and the US west coast. It is the only container service linking these important markets through direct end-to-end routing. The service already calls at Dalian, Tianjin and Qingdao, primarily for the westbound trade into the Middle East. Yantian will be introduced as the only China port eastbound to serve Los Angeles, Vancouver and Seattle.
The joint Cosco/Uniglory service between China, southeast Asia and the Middle East/Indian sub-continent is being extended to cover the Thai port of Laem Chabang eastbound. From June 21, the new port coverage will be: Tianjin, Yingkou, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Dubai, Damman, Karachi, Singapore, Laem Chabang, Hong Kong and Tianjin.