According to a report today on the JOC.Com news platform, the Ocean Alliance, the second-largest container ship alliance by volume, has unveiled network changes that include the addition of two new trans-Pacific express services into the North American West Coast and one to the US Southeast by spring. The Alliance comprises some 352 container vessels of 4.4 million TEU capacity.

The new services are part of other moves by the alliance’s members, including upgrading capacity on Asia-Europe services and putting into rotation more fuel-efficient vessels across all trade lanes.

CMA CGM and Cosco Shipping Lines, the third- and fourth-largest ocean carriers by capacity, said they will begin offering container capacity on two new services between Asia and the West Coast by April. The CENX will offer service from Qingdao and Shanghai and Canada’s Prince Rupert. Another service, SEAX, will call the Shanghai and Yantian ports before going to Long Beach.

Along with an around-the-world service, Ocean Alliance offers 14 trans-Pacific services direct into the US West Coast, according to the latest service guide from CMA CGM. In a separate statement, Cosco’s OOCL subsidiary said it would also offer a North China service into Los Angeles.

The Ocean Alliance will also offer the CBX/AWE7 service that will call on China and South Korea before calling on Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston, and Miami. Ocean Alliance lists four trans-Pacific services into the US East Coast currently.

Ocean Alliance did not disclose vessel capacity on the new services.

A trans-Pacific service into Los Angeles will also get an upgrade, CMA CGM said, noting it will put seven 15,000 TEU ships on its Pearl River Express (PRX) services from Southern China. The PRX service currently uses seven ships in the 9,000 to 11,400 TEU range. (Photo CMA CGM)