Due to deteriorating market conditions, the Asia Express Consortium partners CCNI and Hamburg Süd on the one hand and MSC on the other have decided with immediate effect to reduce capacity in the trade between Asia and Mexico and the West Coast of South America. This rationalization will be achieved by combining the current MSC service with sling two of the Asia Express Consortium.
Sling one will be operated with ten modern vessels of 4,200 TEU nominal capacity. The revised service structure will have the following rotation: Yokohama - Pusan - Shanghai - Ningbo - Hong Kong - Manzanillo - Lazaro Cardenas - Puerto Quetzal - Buenaventura - Guayaquil - Iquique - Mejillones - Valparaiso - Lirquen - Lazaro Cardenas - Yokohama.
Sling two will be operated with ten modern vessels of 3,500 TEU nominal capacity. The revised service structure will have the following rotation: Keelung - Hong Kong - Chiwan - Shanghai - Ningbo - Busan - Yokohama - Manzanillo - Buenaventura - Callao - Mejillones / Antofagasta - Valparaiso - San Vicente - Manzanillo - Keelung.
The resulting two sling service will provide for the most complete and comprehensive coverage in the trade. Total nominal capacity will be reduced by 2,500 TEU per week in the period from February 24 through to August 2009. Hamburg Süd, CCNI and MSC will review the trade prospects in June 2009. Should the trade situation improve sufficiently to warrant additional capacity the lines will revert to their original service set up.