CHINA SHIPPING, ZIM REVAMP TRANSPACIFIC SERVICES

CHINA SHIPPING, ZIM REVAMP TRANSPACIFIC SERVICES    China Shipping and Zim Israel Navigation Co. have commenced a previously announced slot-exchange agreement in the Asia/West Coast of North America trade and are revising two of their four joint services.
   Zim now takes space on the AAS and AAC weekly transpacific services operated by the Chinese carrier. Conversely, China Shipping now has space on the Zim Pacific Service and Zim Container Service loops between Asia and the West Coast of North America.
   The ZPS/Asia America North service will now utilize five ships of between 1,662 and 1,900-TEU capacity, instead of six. Calls at Long Beach and Oakland are being dropped, but the service will add a direct call at Seattle. The Zim Seattle will make the last call at Long Beach and Oakland on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29, respectively.
   The revised rotation of the ZPS/Asia America North service is Vancouver, B.C.; Seattle; Kwangyang; Shekou; Hong Kong; Shanghai; Busan; Vancouver and Seattle.
   The Asia America Central service is also dropping a sixth ship, leaving five vessels with an average capacity of 1,770 TEUs. Calls at Seattle, Kobe, Lianyungang, and Yokohama are gradually being dropped from the rotation which will be Los Angeles, Oakland, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Hakata, Busan, Los Angeles and Oakland.
   Following the slot-charter deal, both Zim and China Shipping will offer four weekly Asia/West Coast of North America services instead of three previously.
   In a separate development, CMA CGM will start taking slots on the Asia America South service of China Shipping on Oct. 26. For CMA CGM, the arrangement means that it will increase its number of Asia/West Coast of North America weekly services from two to three a week.
   China Shipping and CMA CGM are also participants in a separate Asia/U.S. East Coast service that does not involve Zim.