MSC Launches Enhanced East-West Service Network
1 month ago
MSC Launches Enhanced East-West Service Network
MSC has announced significant enhancements to its standalone East/West service network, effective February 2025, aimed at improving connectivity between Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada. These upgrades will offer more direct port pairings and competitive transit times as part of MSC's broader strategy to expand its ocean freight network.
One key update is the integration of MSC’s Mustang service into the East/West network, connecting Asia with the Northwest US and Canada. The revised rotation will include ports such as Xiamen, Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and Busan.
Additionally, the Pearl and Chinook services will now include new port calls in Vietnam's Vung Tau and Haiphong, further strengthening connectivity between Asia and North America. MSC is also enhancing its Asia-to-Europe network, adding new port calls in Nansha on the Lion and Dragon services, as well as a direct connection to Japan via Yokohama on the Swan-Sentosa service, replacing the previous Busan call.
The Jade service will now stop at Vizhinjam, India, before heading to the Mediterranean, while the Dragon service will swap its Colombo call for Vizhinjam on its eastbound route. For Asia-North Europe trade, the Britannia service will add a call at Colombo, and the America service will also include Colombo on its eastbound leg from the US East Coast to Asia.
Furthermore, MSC will introduce a westbound call at Busan on both the Orient and Lonestar services, connecting US West and East Coast trades with Asia. The Albatros service will see changes to its European calls, adding London Gateway after Felixstowe, while Felixstowe remains the first European port of call from Asia.
MSC confirmed that these changes will not affect the tonnage or deployment of any other global routes.
Source: Container News