<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">An alliance of 17 North American retailers today unveiled the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding-five year agreement that aims to improve factory safety conditions in Bangladesh.</div>

An alliance of 17 North American retailers today unveiled the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding-five year agreement that aims to improve factory safety conditions in Bangladesh.

<div>An alliance of 17 North American retailers on Wednesday <a>unveiled</a> the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding five-year agreement that aims to improve factory safety conditions in Bangladesh.The deal was developed over the past five weeks under the guidance of former Sens. George J. Mitchell and Olympia Snowe, acting as independent facilitators at the Bipartisan Policy Center, following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in April, which resulted in more than 1,100 deaths.“We sought and received input from a wide range of interested parties, including, among others, the governments of Bangladesh and the United States, fire...

An alliance of 17 North American retailers on Wednesday unveiled the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding five-year agreement that aims to improve factory safety conditions in Bangladesh. The deal was developed over the past five weeks under the guidance of former Sens. George J. Mitchell and Olympia Snowe, acting as independent facilitators at the Bipartisan Policy Center, following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in April, which resulted in more than 1,100 deaths. “We sought and received input from a wide range of interested parties, including, among others, the governments of Bangladesh and the United States, fire and safety experts and worker representatives,” Mitchell said in a written statement. “While there were many differences in interests and on issues, the dominant common theme was the importance, indeed the necessity, of developing and implementing a meaningful plan of action to dramatically improve worker safety in the garment industry in Bangladesh.” The initiative calls for inspections of all alliance-member factories within the first year, common safety standards to be developed within the next three months and inspection results to be shared transparently. It also calls for all alliance factories to actively support the democratic election and successful operation of “worker participation committees” at each factory, and includes a role for an independent chairman, who will be responsible for oversight. Under the initiative’s inspection program, inspectors also will prioritize factory safety risks for remediation efforts and have been empowered to report to the alliance, worker participation committees, building owners and the Bangladeshi government any dangerous safety conditions. Alliance members are providing the $42 million in funding to support the initiative throughout its five-year period. Some companies also have offered an additional combined total of $100 million in loans and access to capital to assist factory owners they work with in Bangladesh for factory safety improvements. The 17 retailers participating in the initiative are Canadian Tire, Carter’s, The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Gap, Hudson’s Bay, IFG, J.C. Penney, The Jones Group, Kohl’s Department Stores, L.L. Bean, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Public Clothing, Sears Holdings, Target, VF and Wal-Mart. “We can prevent future tragedies by consolidating and amplifying our individual efforts to bring about real and sustained progress,” the CEOs of the alliance members said in a joint letter. “We’ll use the power of the newly created alliance to find other sources of funding to support additional infrastructure improvement, including working closely with government agencies around the world.” The European Union, in collaboration with the Bangladeshi government, has also released an initiative to improve conditions for workers in the South Asian nation’s garment factories, although several American companies said they disliked the plan because it was legally binding and might subject them to lawsuits. Major U.S. and European retailers had previously disagreed on how to ensure worker safety in Bangladesh in the weeks immediately following the Rana Plaza tragedy.

International ports

North American Retailers Unveil Bangladesh Safety Initiative

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The US has established a maritime warning zone, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping, while airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East.</div>

The US has established a maritime warning zone, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping, while airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East.

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<div class="phx-topic">Commercial shipping and airlines were avoiding the Middle East region Saturday after the US and Israel launched massive military strikes on Iran, ostensibly over that country’s nuclear program. The bombardment, meanwhile, prompted Tehran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen to threaten retaliation by saying they may resume attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East and the US has established a maritime warning zone in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping. “The establishment of the warning zone is intended to provide notice that dangerous military operations are taking place from within these locations and the US Navy cannot guarantee the safety of neutral or merchant shipping,” Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, said in a statement Saturday. Two Houthi officials speaking on the condition of anonymity on Saturday <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/yemens-iranian-backed-houthi-rebels-083643083.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHCSkq524Zuax-7RXYPUHL7WjCXLoDzxDA6oxH9lxQY48Svx1eiq28CB1EPKkJs30ZP9956P-XPnfis5r3FnNU3a4X4GWKphMEAzIxOLvy2kEVrs30VhCmW5QTvk4i_UISC1bNGzJqshxlFkcuwfpiUYmp6_A6xzvpJM1G6XP-8G">told the Associated Press</a> that attacks on commercial shipping in the Bab-el-Madeb Strait could restart as early as “tonight.” Houthi leadership has yet to make an official statement. Hapag-Lloyd and Gemini Cooperation partner Maersk announced on Friday that some Suez Canal and Red Sea services <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-hapag-lloyd-to-reroute-some-march-sailings-away-from-red-seasuez-6177149">would be rerouted back via the Cape of Good Hope</a> because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region. The Houthis have not launched any attacks on shipping since the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced last October. Major container lines have mostly avoided the Red Sea/Suez route since late 2023 when Houthi militants began their attacks on commercial shipping to protest Israel’s move into Gaza, forcing lengthy diversions around southern Africa.  Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, said the military action launched by the US and Israel and Iran’s retaliation will “shatter hopes of a large-scale return of container shipping to the Red Sea” this year. “If Houthi militia resume attacks, as now seems likely, carriers will reverse the decision to return services to the Red Sea and prioritize the safety of crew, ship and cargo,” Sand said in a statement Saturday. “Any plans for a phased return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026 will be shelved until the security situation becomes clearer.” <h3>Marine insurance to soar </h3>The escalation of hostilities in the region is expected to push maritime risk insurance through the roof, according to Dylan Mortimer from UK-based insurance risk adviser Marsh. “It is very early to tell at this point, but we would estimate that near-term rate increases for marine hull insurance in the Gulf could range from 25% to 50%, barring any direct attack on merchant shipping, which could have major repercussions across war insurance rates,” Mortimer said in a statement. “The primary risks center on the Persian/Arabian Gulf, particularly the threat of vessel boarding and seizure by Iranian forces and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” he added. Bimco has also warned that insurance rates are expected to increase “manyfold,” and Larsen said ships with business connections to US or Israel would likely have their insurance withdrawn. While Iran will be able to disrupt commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, Larsen did not expect that disruption to be long-term. “It is assessed that within a few days US air and naval superiority will eventually establish a level of security which will enable commercial shipping to resume transportation in and out of the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters,” he said. Contact Greg Knowler at <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/rotterdam-congestion-limits-benefit-of-second-half-surge-in-imports-6176418">greg.knowler@spglobal.com.</a></div>

Commercial shipping and airlines were avoiding the Middle East region Saturday after the US and Israel launched massive military strikes on Iran, ostensibly over that country’s nuclear program. The bombardment, meanwhile, prompted Tehran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen to threaten retaliation by saying they may resume attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Airlines have suspended passenger and freighter flights across the Middle East and the US has established a maritime warning zone in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, effectively placing the region out of bounds to shipping. “The establishment of the warning zone is intended to provide notice that dangerous military operations are taking place from within these locations and the US Navy cannot guarantee the safety of neutral or merchant shipping,” Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, said in a statement Saturday. Two Houthi officials speaking on the condition of anonymity on Saturday told the Associated Press that attacks on commercial shipping in the Bab-el-Madeb Strait could restart as early as “tonight.” Houthi leadership has yet to make an official statement. Hapag-Lloyd and Gemini Cooperation partner Maersk announced on Friday that some Suez Canal and Red Sea services would be rerouted back via the Cape of Good Hope because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region. The Houthis have not launched any attacks on shipping since the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced last October. Major container lines have mostly avoided the Red Sea/Suez route since late 2023 when Houthi militants began their attacks on commercial shipping to protest Israel’s move into Gaza, forcing lengthy diversions around southern Africa.  Peter Sand, chief analyst for rate benchmarking platform Xeneta, said the military action launched by the US and Israel and Iran’s retaliation will “shatter hopes of a large-scale return of container shipping to the Red Sea” this year. “If Houthi militia resume attacks, as now seems likely, carriers will reverse the decision to return services to the Red Sea and prioritize the safety of crew, ship and cargo,” Sand said in a statement Saturday. “Any plans for a phased return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026 will be shelved until the security situation becomes clearer.” Marine insurance to soar The escalation of hostilities in the region is expected to push maritime risk insurance through the roof, according to Dylan Mortimer from UK-based insurance risk adviser Marsh. “It is very early to tell at this point, but we would estimate that near-term rate increases for marine hull insurance in the Gulf could range from 25% to 50%, barring any direct attack on merchant shipping, which could have major repercussions across war insurance rates,” Mortimer said in a statement. “The primary risks center on the Persian/Arabian Gulf, particularly the threat of vessel boarding and seizure by Iranian forces and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” he added. Bimco has also warned that insurance rates are expected to increase “manyfold,” and Larsen said ships with business connections to US or Israel would likely have their insurance withdrawn. While Iran will be able to disrupt commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, Larsen did not expect that disruption to be long-term. “It is assessed that within a few days US air and naval superiority will eventually establish a level of security which will enable commercial shipping to resume transportation in and out of the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters,” he said. Contact Greg Knowler at greg.knowler@spglobal.com.

Air Cargo

Container lines

Container Shipping News

Maritime

Shipping avoiding Middle East region after US, Israel begin strikes on Iran

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Even if the terminal operator arm of the Virginia Port Authority violated the terms of its contract with the International Longshoremen’s Association, the VPA’s influence did not violate national labor law, the court said in its ruling.</div>

Even if the terminal operator arm of the Virginia Port Authority violated the terms of its contract with the International Longshoremen’s Association, the VPA’s influence did not violate national labor law, the court said in its ruling.

<div class="phx-topic">A federal court has dismissed the International Longshoremen’s Association’s (ILA) lawsuit alleging that the Virginia Ports Authority (VPA) and its chief executive violated national labor law by installing automated yard cranes without notifying the union as mandated by its master contract. A spokesperson for the VPA said the authority was “grateful for the court’s careful consideration of the matter,” but had no further comment on the lawsuit. The ILA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The VPA in October 2025 <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/virginia-port-looks-to-dismiss-ila-lawsuit-on-rail-crane-rollout-6099283">filed a motion to dismiss the ILA complaint</a>, arguing that the union knew about plans to roll out new rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes in Norfolk in May 2023, nearly two years prior to their installation. The union’s lawsuit, <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/ila-suing-virginia-port-chief-executive-over-rollout-of-new-rail-cranes-6070318">filed last August</a>, said its members were only made aware of the new cranes as the first batch was installed in April 2025. In its ruling issued Thursday, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said that although the ILA “appears to have demonstrated” that the purchase of the RMG cranes without prior official notification violated the master contract, the contract is with Virginia International Terminals (VIT), which was not named in the complaint. VIT is a legally separate entity that handles daily operations and directly employs longshore workers. Under the ILA master contract ratified in March 2025, any new technology implemented by ports along the East and Gulf coasts must be vetted by a new technology committee comprised of the union and maritime employers to determine staffing levels for the new equipment, training and pay rates. The local union must also be notified so it can negotiate with employers about the new technology.</div>

A federal court has dismissed the International Longshoremen’s Association’s (ILA) lawsuit alleging that the Virginia Ports Authority (VPA) and its chief executive violated national labor law by installing automated yard cranes without notifying the union as mandated by its master contract. A spokesperson for the VPA said the authority was “grateful for the court’s careful consideration of the matter,” but had no further comment on the lawsuit. The ILA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The VPA in October 2025 filed a motion to dismiss the ILA complaint , arguing that the union knew about plans to roll out new rail-mounted gantry (RMG) cranes in Norfolk in May 2023, nearly two years prior to their installation. The union’s lawsuit, filed last August , said its members were only made aware of the new cranes as the first batch was installed in April 2025. In its ruling issued Thursday, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said that although the ILA “appears to have demonstrated” that the purchase of the RMG cranes without prior official notification violated the master contract, the contract is with Virginia International Terminals (VIT), which was not named in the complaint. VIT is a legally separate entity that handles daily operations and directly employs longshore workers. Under the ILA master contract ratified in March 2025, any new technology implemented by ports along the East and Gulf coasts must be vetted by a new technology committee comprised of the union and maritime employers to determine staffing levels for the new equipment, training and pay rates. The local union must also be notified so it can negotiate with employers about the new technology.

Port News

North American ports

Marine terminals

Longshore labor

Federal court dismisses ILA complaint over Virginia rail cranes

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">The new service comes as cargo owners are facing a drop in direct connections between Japan and the main markets of Europe and North America.</div>

The new service comes as cargo owners are facing a drop in direct connections between Japan and the main markets of Europe and North America.

<div class="phx-topic">CMA CGM will launch a standalone ocean express service connecting Japan and Europe beginning in April using 14 container ships ranging in size from 7,000 TEUs to 10,000 TEUs, the carrier said Friday. The weekly service, called Ocean Rise, will start April 2 and includes calls at Japan’s leading ports including Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe, plus Yantian in southern China, Rotterdam and Hamburg. The Marseille-based carrier said in a statement there will be a 38-day transit from Yokohama to Rotterdam, with 41 days to Hamburg. From Yantian, cargo will reach Rotterdam in 32 days and Hamburg in 35 days. “Shippers can expect greater schedule reliability, streamlined transit flows, and a more resilient end-to-end service...,” CMA CGM said. The full rotation will be Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Xiamen, Yantian, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Nansha, and Kobe. <h3>Decline in direct connections from Japan </h3>The new service comes as cargo owners are facing a drop in direct connections between Japan and the main markets of Europe and North America, with carriers instead transshipping cargo at ports such as South Korea’s Busan and Qingdao in northern China. While container volumes at Japan’s main ports have steadily increased, the ports are prone to berth congestion, leading to delays. Carriers such as Ocean Network Express (ONE) regularly skip calls or alter port rotations at Japanese ports such as Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokohama to maintain schedule reliability, according to recent service schedules. Carriers ending direct services include those in the Premier Alliance, which will halt express connections between Japan and Europe when it launches its new schedules in April, instead relying on a shuttle network to link Japanese ports and Busan. The alliance, comprising ONE, HMM and Yang Ming, will split its Far East Pacific 1 (FP1) pendulum service connecting North Europe, Asia, and the US West Coast into two separate loops, PS1 and FE1, from April. While direct links between the US West Coast and Tokyo, Nagoya and Kobe will be maintained under the PS1 service, the Japanese ports will be dropped from the FE1 loop that will connect Thailand and Vietnam with Europe instead. That follows the delivery of larger 13,000- to 15,000-TEU ships that will replace the 9,000-TEU vessels deployed on the FP1 service. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>.</div>

CMA CGM will launch a standalone ocean express service connecting Japan and Europe beginning in April using 14 container ships ranging in size from 7,000 TEUs to 10,000 TEUs, the carrier said Friday. The weekly service, called Ocean Rise, will start April 2 and includes calls at Japan’s leading ports including Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe, plus Yantian in southern China, Rotterdam and Hamburg. The Marseille-based carrier said in a statement there will be a 38-day transit from Yokohama to Rotterdam, with 41 days to Hamburg. From Yantian, cargo will reach Rotterdam in 32 days and Hamburg in 35 days. “Shippers can expect greater schedule reliability, streamlined transit flows, and a more resilient end-to-end service...,” CMA CGM said. The full rotation will be Kobe, Nagoya, Yokohama, Xiamen, Yantian, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Nansha, and Kobe. Decline in direct connections from Japan The new service comes as cargo owners are facing a drop in direct connections between Japan and the main markets of Europe and North America, with carriers instead transshipping cargo at ports such as South Korea’s Busan and Qingdao in northern China. While container volumes at Japan’s main ports have steadily increased, the ports are prone to berth congestion, leading to delays. Carriers such as Ocean Network Express (ONE) regularly skip calls or alter port rotations at Japanese ports such as Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, and Yokohama to maintain schedule reliability, according to recent service schedules. Carriers ending direct services include those in the Premier Alliance, which will halt express connections between Japan and Europe when it launches its new schedules in April, instead relying on a shuttle network to link Japanese ports and Busan. The alliance, comprising ONE, HMM and Yang Ming, will split its Far East Pacific 1 (FP1) pendulum service connecting North Europe, Asia, and the US West Coast into two separate loops, PS1 and FE1, from April. While direct links between the US West Coast and Tokyo, Nagoya and Kobe will be maintained under the PS1 service, the Japanese ports will be dropped from the FE1 loop that will connect Thailand and Vietnam with Europe instead. That follows the delivery of larger 13,000- to 15,000-TEU ships that will replace the 9,000-TEU vessels deployed on the FP1 service. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Trans-Pacific

CMA CGM to launch standalone Japan-Europe express service in April

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Five services are covered by the adjustments, which are being made to give “stronger market coverage and faster products,” on the trades, Hapag-Lloyd said. </div>

Five services are covered by the adjustments, which are being made to give “stronger market coverage and faster products,” on the trades, Hapag-Lloyd said.

<div class="phx-topic">Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd on Friday announced a revamp of some Asia-Europe and Mediterranean alliance services, with extra port calls and larger ships, mainly beginning in April. Five services are covered by the adjustments, which are being made to give “stronger market coverage and faster products on key Asia-North Europe and Mediterranean trades,” Hapag-Lloyd said in an advisory. The most significant change on Asia-Europe services has been made on the AE3/NE3 loop, which will see the introduction of a Baltic rotation with calls at Aarhus (Denmark) and Gothenburg (Sweden), significantly enhancing market coverage in that region. Southampton will become the final European outbound call to Asia, strengthening UK export flows, while Spain’s Algeciras will be dropped from the rotation, the carriers said. In Asia, the service will call at Shenzhen’s Yantian port, “improving optionality for customers favoring Pearl River Delta connectivity,” Hapag-Lloyd said. While the service will continue to start from Shanghai, the call at Ningbo has been relinquished. The new rotation is: Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), London Gateway, Aarhus, Gothenburg, Rotterdam, Southampton, and Singapore. The Gemini partners confirmed that Antwerp would be added to the AE1/NE2 service, but the loop would no longer call at APM Terminals TC1 facility in Tangier. The call at Tanger Alliance TC3 terminal will continue. The Antwerp call, initially announced by the carriers in an advisory earlier this month, will expand the “hinterland reach and improving access to key Benelux and European cargo flows,” Hapag-Lloyd said Friday. The first westbound sailing will be made by the 23,664-TEU Hamburg Express that will depart Shanghai on March 6 and call Antwerp on April 21. The revised rotation is: Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, London Gateway, Tangier (TC3), and Singapore. Hapag-Lloyd said the NE4/AE4 loop will revert to its previous rotation without the Baltic loop, which is now covered by the NE3. “This creates one of the fastest, direct Ningbo-Germany connections in the market, responding to strong customer demand,” the carrier said. Consequently, Maersk said calls will be added at Ningbo and Algeciras, but Yantian will be dropped. The full loop comprises Qingdao, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, London Gateway, Bremerhaven and Hamburg in Germany, Rotterdam, Algeciras, and Tanjung Pelepas. <h3>Larger ships deployed on Asia-Med services </h3>The major change on Asia-Mediterranean services is the deployment of 20,000-TEU vessels on the AE15/SE3 loop, which will replace ships of about 13,000- to 14,000-TEUs, including the 13,169-TEU Essen Express currently assigned on the route. The ships will increase capacity and product strength on the service, Hapag-Lloyd said. Calls will also be added at Port Said in Egypt and the new hub terminal at nearby Damietta, with Istanbul and Izmit in Turkey served via dedicated shuttle connections. Hapag-Lloyd said the new, simplified rotation comprising Qingdao, Gwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Damietta, Colombo, and Singapore “will enhance service robustness.” The final changes are to the AE12/SE1 service that will see Algeciras and Singapore added to the port rotation. The revised loop is Ningbo, Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras, Koper (Slovenia), Rijeka (Croatia), Algeciras, and Singapore. The Gemini partners said further changes would be made to the Asia-Mediterranean services when they decide to revert to routing the loops through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. They gave no timeline when that might happen. The revamp of the alliance services came as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-hapag-lloyd-to-reroute-some-march-sailings-away-from-red-seasuez-6177149">announced Friday they would reroute some Suez Canal and Red Sea services</a> back via the Cape of Good Hope because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>. </div>

Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd on Friday announced a revamp of some Asia-Europe and Mediterranean alliance services, with extra port calls and larger ships, mainly beginning in April. Five services are covered by the adjustments, which are being made to give “stronger market coverage and faster products on key Asia-North Europe and Mediterranean trades,” Hapag-Lloyd said in an advisory. The most significant change on Asia-Europe services has been made on the AE3/NE3 loop, which will see the introduction of a Baltic rotation with calls at Aarhus (Denmark) and Gothenburg (Sweden), significantly enhancing market coverage in that region. Southampton will become the final European outbound call to Asia, strengthening UK export flows, while Spain’s Algeciras will be dropped from the rotation, the carriers said. In Asia, the service will call at Shenzhen’s Yantian port, “improving optionality for customers favoring Pearl River Delta connectivity,” Hapag-Lloyd said. While the service will continue to start from Shanghai, the call at Ningbo has been relinquished. The new rotation is: Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), London Gateway, Aarhus, Gothenburg, Rotterdam, Southampton, and Singapore. The Gemini partners confirmed that Antwerp would be added to the AE1/NE2 service, but the loop would no longer call at APM Terminals TC1 facility in Tangier. The call at Tanger Alliance TC3 terminal will continue. The Antwerp call, initially announced by the carriers in an advisory earlier this month, will expand the “hinterland reach and improving access to key Benelux and European cargo flows,” Hapag-Lloyd said Friday. The first westbound sailing will be made by the 23,664-TEU Hamburg Express that will depart Shanghai on March 6 and call Antwerp on April 21. The revised rotation is: Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, London Gateway, Tangier (TC3), and Singapore. Hapag-Lloyd said the NE4/AE4 loop will revert to its previous rotation without the Baltic loop, which is now covered by the NE3. “This creates one of the fastest, direct Ningbo-Germany connections in the market, responding to strong customer demand,” the carrier said. Consequently, Maersk said calls will be added at Ningbo and Algeciras, but Yantian will be dropped. The full loop comprises Qingdao, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, London Gateway, Bremerhaven and Hamburg in Germany, Rotterdam, Algeciras, and Tanjung Pelepas. Larger ships deployed on Asia-Med services The major change on Asia-Mediterranean services is the deployment of 20,000-TEU vessels on the AE15/SE3 loop, which will replace ships of about 13,000- to 14,000-TEUs, including the 13,169-TEU Essen Express currently assigned on the route. The ships will increase capacity and product strength on the service, Hapag-Lloyd said. Calls will also be added at Port Said in Egypt and the new hub terminal at nearby Damietta, with Istanbul and Izmit in Turkey served via dedicated shuttle connections. Hapag-Lloyd said the new, simplified rotation comprising Qingdao, Gwangyang, Ningbo, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Damietta, Colombo, and Singapore “will enhance service robustness.” The final changes are to the AE12/SE1 service that will see Algeciras and Singapore added to the port rotation. The revised loop is Ningbo, Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Algeciras, Koper (Slovenia), Rijeka (Croatia), Algeciras, and Singapore. The Gemini partners said further changes would be made to the Asia-Mediterranean services when they decide to revert to routing the loops through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. They gave no timeline when that might happen. The revamp of the alliance services came as Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd announced Friday they would reroute some Suez Canal and Red Sea services back via the Cape of Good Hope because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Asia-Europe

Gemini partners unveil revamp of some Asia services to Europe, Med

<div class="phx-topic abstract-wrapper">Separate statements from the Gemini partners said “unforeseen constraints” prompted the moves, which come as the US weighs a possible military strike on Iran. </div>

Separate statements from the Gemini partners said “unforeseen constraints” prompted the moves, which come as the US weighs a possible military strike on Iran.

<div class="phx-topic">Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are rerouting some Suez Canal and Red Sea services back via the Cape of Good Hope because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region, the carriers said Friday. Separate statements from the carriers did not detail those constraints, but the moves come as the US weighs a possible military strike on Iran over that country’s nuclear program. Washington has built up a massive naval presence in the region in advance of a potential attack. “We are currently experiencing unforeseen constraints arising from the wider operating environment in the Red Sea region,” the carriers said. “After conversations with our security partners, it is clear that these constraints are making it challenging to avoid delays in regard to passage through the area.” Major liners have mostly avoided the Red Sea/Suez route since late 2023, when Houthi militants operating in Yemen began their attacks on commercial shipping to protest Israel’s move into Gaza, forcing lengthy diversions around southern Africa. With the US possibly targeting Iran, there are fears the Tehran-backed Houthis could resume attacks on vessels to launch a proxy war in retaliation. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said selected sailings on their ME11/IMX service connecting India, the Mediterranean and Spain would be affected starting next month. The weekly loop — known as the ME11 for Maersk and the IMX for Hapag-Lloyd — calls Jebel Ali (Dubai), Mundra and Nhava Sheva (India), Salalah (Oman), Port Tangier (Morocco), Valencia (Spain) and Port Said (Egypt). A source at Maersk <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/gemini-india-med-service-the-next-to-plan-return-to-red-seasuez-passage-6152941">told the Journal of Commerce in mid-January</a> that the service would resume transits through the Red Sea and Suez “shortly.” Maersk also said in its statement Friday that some sailings on its independently operated MECL service connecting the Middle East and India with the US East Coast would also switch back to sailing around southern Africa. That service had <a href="https://www.joc.com/article/maersk-set-to-resume-regular-suez-transits-on-india-usec-mecl-loop-sources-6152441">only resumed transits through the Red Sea/Suez weeks ago.</a> <h3>Trans-Suez route remains a priority for other sailings </h3>The Gemini partners said the first westbound Cape of Good Hope sailing on the ME11/IMX service will be made by the 15,282-TEU Maersk Houston departing Salalah on March 5. The first eastbound sailing will be by the 15,226-TEU Maersk Hamburg departing Port Tangiers on March 8. Maersk added that the first eastbound vessel on its MECL service making the longer Cape of Good Hope voyage will be the 6,648-TEU Maersk Senang departing Port Tangiers on March 1. The 6,200-TEU Maersk Detroit will make the first westbound detour, leaving Salalah on March 11. The Cape of Good Hope diversions announced Friday cover the first half of March. “On all additional sailings, we continue to prioritize the trans-Suez route for these services as it is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way for us to serve our customers,” both carriers said their separate statements. Contact Keith Wallis at <a href="mailto:keithwallis@hotmail.com">keithwallis@hotmail.com</a>. </div>

Gemini Cooperation partners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are rerouting some Suez Canal and Red Sea services back via the Cape of Good Hope because of “unforeseen constraints” in the volatile region, the carriers said Friday. Separate statements from the carriers did not detail those constraints, but the moves come as the US weighs a possible military strike on Iran over that country’s nuclear program. Washington has built up a massive naval presence in the region in advance of a potential attack. “We are currently experiencing unforeseen constraints arising from the wider operating environment in the Red Sea region,” the carriers said. “After conversations with our security partners, it is clear that these constraints are making it challenging to avoid delays in regard to passage through the area.” Major liners have mostly avoided the Red Sea/Suez route since late 2023, when Houthi militants operating in Yemen began their attacks on commercial shipping to protest Israel’s move into Gaza, forcing lengthy diversions around southern Africa. With the US possibly targeting Iran, there are fears the Tehran-backed Houthis could resume attacks on vessels to launch a proxy war in retaliation. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said selected sailings on their ME11/IMX service connecting India, the Mediterranean and Spain would be affected starting next month. The weekly loop — known as the ME11 for Maersk and the IMX for Hapag-Lloyd — calls Jebel Ali (Dubai), Mundra and Nhava Sheva (India), Salalah (Oman), Port Tangier (Morocco), Valencia (Spain) and Port Said (Egypt). A source at Maersk told the Journal of Commerce in mid-January that the service would resume transits through the Red Sea and Suez “shortly.” Maersk also said in its statement Friday that some sailings on its independently operated MECL service connecting the Middle East and India with the US East Coast would also switch back to sailing around southern Africa. That service had only resumed transits through the Red Sea/Suez weeks ago. Trans-Suez route remains a priority for other sailings The Gemini partners said the first westbound Cape of Good Hope sailing on the ME11/IMX service will be made by the 15,282-TEU Maersk Houston departing Salalah on March 5. The first eastbound sailing will be by the 15,226-TEU Maersk Hamburg departing Port Tangiers on March 8. Maersk added that the first eastbound vessel on its MECL service making the longer Cape of Good Hope voyage will be the 6,648-TEU Maersk Senang departing Port Tangiers on March 1. The 6,200-TEU Maersk Detroit will make the first westbound detour, leaving Salalah on March 11. The Cape of Good Hope diversions announced Friday cover the first half of March. “On all additional sailings, we continue to prioritize the trans-Suez route for these services as it is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way for us to serve our customers,” both carriers said their separate statements. Contact Keith Wallis at keithwallis@hotmail.com .

Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd to reroute some March sailings away from Red Sea/Suez

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