ZIM Upgrades Services on Pacific, Atlantic Routes

Israel’s shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) plans to enhance its services on Pacific and Atlantic routes, starting from April 2017. 

The company intends to add a new service between Asia and the Pacific North West which will replace the current North Pacific services.

In addition, ZIM said it will upgrade the ZCP service via the Panama Canal linking Asia and the US East Coast.

The third service on Pacific Trade, the ZIM Seven Stars (X7S) service, connecting  South China, South East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and the US East Coast via the Suez Canal, is expected to resume full activity in April 2017, according to the company.

The existing AME and EMX services linking Asia and the Indian Subcontinent with the East Mediterranean and Black Sea will be restructured to new services, ZIM said.

ZIM has also enhanced its Atlantic network, adding a fourth string, with wider coverage including additional calls in Italy, France and Turkey, and improved transit times to the US East Coast main ports.

The company said it will publish more details on the new structure and services in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, members of THE Alliance revealed an enhancement of their future Mediterranean-North America East Coast coverage, scheduled to start operating from April 2017.

The planned changes encompass ZIM Container Service Italy (ZCI) and ZIM Container Service Atlantic (ZCA).

The firm plans to deploy 5 vessels in the ZCI service, while its ZCA service, operating 7 vessels, will focus on the East Med and Spain with a new call in Algeciras, serving the South Spain market and adding new direct calls in two Turkish ports, Izmir and Mersin.

ZIM did not indicate that the latest changes are linked to THE Alliance.