COSCO launches express alternatives to US West Coast

COSCO Shipping Lines is launching Transpacific BCO Express Line this week, comprising the Prince Rupert express line (CEN-EXPRESS) and the Los Angeles express line (CEN-PLUS)

Using five 4,250TEU ships, CEN-EXPRESS will move containers from Qingdao and Shanghai to Prince Rupert while CEN-PLUS, assigned six 10,000TEU vessels, will call at Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

Under CEN-EXPRESS, shippers can have their goods railed from DP World’s terminal in Prince Rupert port, via the Canadian National Railway, to Chicago.

For CEN-PLUS, shippers are guaranteed an exclusive container yard as a pick-up point for delivery to the receiver.

“The express services provide 3,500TEU of incremental capacity for the Transpacific service, which will effectively relieve the pressure on the import-export market between China and US, especially for Long Beach and Los Angeles,” said COSCO.

While the China-US West Coast voyage takes 14 days, severe congestion means that ships now have to wait nine days outside Los Angeles and Long Beach ports to berth. With unloading and the bottlenecks in US rail transport, it could take a month for the goods to reach the US inland.

COSCON stated that using the CEN-EXPRESS can get goods from China to Chicago in just 19 days.

COSCON will also offer the services to customers of its OCEAN Alliance partners, CMA CGM and Evergreen Marine Corporation, and plans to expand the service coverage to more inland points in the US and eastern Canada.

Source: Container News


Related News

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to form new alliance
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd to form new alliance

Two container giants, Denmark's Maersk and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd have signed an agreement for a new long-term operational collaboration.

Shifting economic demand could be positive for supply chains, long-run
Shifting economic demand could be positive for supply chains, long-run

Maersk has warned that the energy crisis in China and the consequent delays and congestion caused by Covid-19 is disrupting services, but some believe the power problems may lead to falling demand following the rush to get goods to market for Christmas.

Chittagong port yards face severe box congestions in lockdown
Chittagong port yards face severe box congestions in lockdown

The ongoing lockdown in Bangladesh has started taking a toll on the shipping sector, especially on port yards, creating severe congestion as importers are hardly taking delivery of containers.


main.add_cart_success