 Hapag-Lloyd joins Wan Hai in major upgrade of Asia-USEC AA7 loop |
Source |
American Shipper |
Post Date |
03/22/2023 |
|
Hapag-Lloyd is to become a vessel provider for Wan Hai Lines Far East US East Coast AA7 service.
Both carriers will as from April deploy larger ships with a announced capacity of 7,500 11,500 teu at 10 tons/teu. The above criteria mean that the fleet will consist of twelve vessels with a nominal capacity ranging between 8,500 and 13,100 teu.
Wan Hai Lines will provide eight units and Hapag-Lloyd the four remaining ones. The AA7 currently turns in 13 weeks with 11 x 4,250 7,240 teu ships all operated by Wan Hai Lines. They will be joined next week by the 5,608 teu WAN HAI 612.
Hapag-Lloyd is buying approximately 800 teu slots on this Asia North America loop since May 2022.
The current rotation includes calls at Shanghai (as from 19 March), Ningbo, Taipei, Xiamen, Shekou, Cai Mep, Singapore
(Suez Canal)
New York, Norfolk, Savannah
(Panama Canal)
Shanghai.
It is not clear yet if this rotation will be changed once the bigger 13K ships will enter the AA7 fleet. Both carriers have filed a new Vessel Sharing Agreement with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in Washington as the status of Hapag-Lloyd will change from slotter to vessel provider. The new VSA will have a minimum period of 12 months. The agreement with Hapag-Lloyd will help Wan Hai Lines fill its 13,100 13,250 teu newbuildings.
The Taiwanese carrier already took delivery of three 13,100 teu ships since last October, which are all deployed in its Far East US West Coast AA3 service. It has ten more sister ships under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries. Wan Hai Lines also just took delivery of the 13,248 teu WAN HAI A01, which is joining this week a Far East West Coast South America loop operated jointly by Wan Hai Lines, PIL, Evergreen and COSCO Shipping Lines. The carrier has four more 13,248 teu newbuildings under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries.
|
|
|
|
