Major liners set to resume all Asia-Europe services through Suez

All the mainline operators look set to resume Suez Canal transits for their Asia-NorthEurope and Asia-Mediterranean services.

Taiwan's Evergreen will join its Ocean Alliance partners in doing just that this week, while

Yang Ming and South Korea's HMM will join their Premier Alliance partners restarting Suez

crossings next month.

Linerlytica's report today says Evergreen will send the 16,556 teu Ever Eon and Ever Edit on

eastbound Suez transits on the Ocean Alliance's NEU7/CES service on 7 and 11 November,respectively, with the 20,124 teu Ever Gifted on the alliance's MD2 service on 16 November.

The Premier Alliance's Asia Mediterranean 1 (MD1) service will resume Suez transits next

month, adding a new call at Sokhna to cater for Asia-Red Sea cargo. The revised MD1rotation will call at Ningbo, Shanghai, Shekou, Singapore, Sokhna, (Suez Canal), Damietta,Ambarli, Izmit, Mersin, Damietta, (via Suez), Singapore, Kaohsiung, and Ningbo, starting withYang Ming's 11,714 teu YM Trust at Ningbo on 13 November.

The revised MD1 will turn in 84 days and will deploy 12 ships of 11,700 to 14,000 teu from

Yang Ming, compared with 16 ships on the present Cape route.

Shipping lines turned away from Suez and diverted vessels round the Cape of Good Hope inlate 2023, after the Houthis began attacking vessels in response to Israel's conflict withPalestine. In recent months, vessel capacity constraints, and competitive pressures followinga temporary easing of regional security risks, have convinced shipping lines to resume Suezcrossings.

Israeli carrier Zim is the only major shipping line sticking to the Cape route, possibly due toits nationality.HMM's spokesperson told The Loadstar South Korea's flagship carrier had assessed the risks

before deciding to resume Suez transits.

She said: 'This matter was decided and agreed upon from a Premier Alliance perspective,

following a comprehensive review of market conditions and safety aspects.'Linerlytica said: 'All three main carrier alliances, along with MSC, are set to make a fullreturn to the Suez by Q1 27, leaving Zim as the only main carrier left on the Cape route.'

The Gemini Cooperation partners, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, have also signalled a full Suezresumption by Q1 27, and launched a new Asia-Mediterranean service that passes through

the canal.

The shortened sailing times do not augur well for Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean

rates, however, with the 1 November price hikes failing to gain traction, and further ratedeclines are expected in the coming weeks, as supply growth is not outpacing growth in

demand.

With this, shipping lines are also adding more Red Sea calls to capitalise on rising Shanghai-Persian Gulf rates.

Evergreen is relaunching its China-Red Sea service on 12 November to coincide with theresumption of its Suez transits. The OGRD service will call at Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo,Shekou, Singapore, Jeddah, Sokhna, Aqaba, Jeddah, Port Klang, and Qingdao.The service will turn in 56 days but will initially only deploy four 7,000-9,000 teu ships,operating on a fortnightly basis starting with the 7,024 teu Ever Superb at Qingdao.

MSC has extended its Far East-Indian subcontinent Shikra service to Khor Fakkan in the UAEand Oman's Sohar port, as it capitalises on the high demand and freight rates to the MiddleEast, despite severe congestion at these ports. The first Khor Fakkan call was made on 18October, by the 24,346 teu MSC Micol under the new Shikra rotation that calls at Dalian,Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Singapore, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Khor

Fakkan, Sohar, and Dalian.