Grand Alliance member lines Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, OOCL and MISC, are expected to start a new Far East-North Europe loop, called the EU 5, though it is not known when this will happened.
It is believed the EU 5 will call at Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Shekou, Singapore, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Le Havre, as well as Port Said in both directions to offer Far East-Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Med-North Europe connections, according to AXS-Alphaliner News.
The report said the EU 5 will progressively deploy up to eight containerships, ranging in size from 3,800-5,000 TEU. The Grand Alliance has yet to confirm the report.
AXS-Alphaliner News said the additional loop would take advantage of the spare tonnage made available through the displacement of newbuildings, the seasonal suspension of a transpacific string and by cascading from the China-US East Coast "NCE" service.
The report added the EU 5 will join the Grand Alliance's four existing Far East-North Europe loops and add to the slot allocations on three NWA services, bringing the number of weekly loops provided by Grand Alliance carriers on the Far East-North Europe route to eight.
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