The G6 Alliance will launch its six-carrier Asia-Europe service in early March, one month ahead of schedule.
“We are eager to roll out our competitive products to benefit customers by offering a comprehensive and increased coverage of 40 ports in the Asia-Europe market with more sailing frequency,” the members said in a statement.
“Customer response to the G6 Alliance is strong, the latest economic condition in the trade supports the timing of the launch, and we are ready to meet the market’s expectations,” it added.
The cooperation, comprised of member-carriers in the Grand Alliance and New World Alliance, includes APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, will launch six services between Asia and North Europe in the first week of March.
Those serving Japanese ports will start after the consultations with the Japan Harbor Transportation Association and labor unions have been completed.
A seventh service, to provide direct coverage to the Bohai Bay ports in Dalian and Xingang, will follow when it can be supported by sustainable trade conditions, the alliance said.
The G6 Alliance said it will continue the existing Asia-Mediterranean Express Service (EUM) and will also launch a new Asia-Black Sea Express Service (ABX) in the first week of April.
The port rotation of the G6 Alliance loops is as follows:
Loop 1: Kobe, Nagoya, Shimizu, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Cai Mep, Singapore, Jeddah, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kobe
Loop 2: To be finalized
Loop 3: Shanghai, Ningbo, South China, Singapore, Tangier, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Singapore, South China, Hong Kong, Shanghai
Loop 4: Ningbo, Shanghai, South China, Singapore, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Singapore, South China, Ningbo
Loop 5: Kwangyang, Pusan, Shanghai, South China, Singapore, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Thamesport, Singapore, Kwangyang
Loop 6: Kaohsiung, Xiamen, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Southampton, Antwerp, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Jebel Ali, Singapore, South China, Kaohsiung
Loop 7: Qingdao, Shanghai, Hong Kong, South China, Singapore, Salalah, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Tangier, Salalah, Singapore, South China, Qingdao
ABX Service: Ningbo, Shanghai, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Said, Ashdod, Istanbul, Constanza, Odessa, Istanbul, Ashdod, Port Said, Singapore, Ningbo
EUM Service: Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Klang, Jeddah, Damietta, Genoa, FOS Sur Mer, Barcelona, Valencia, Damietta, Jeddah, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pusan
Photo courtesy of Hapag-Lloyd