Zim Integrated Shipping Services later this month will launch its third expedited trans-Pacific service in a year in response to still-growing e-commerce demand, and give Oakland its second first-in-country US call on an Asian service.
The service, set to launch April 29 and deploying ships with roughly 4,250 TEU of capacity, will connect Kaohsiung, Shanghai, and Ningbo with Oakland and Los Angeles. CMA CGM in January launched an Asian that gave Oakland a long-sought-after first US inbound port of call, propelling its ability to tap growing e-commerce imports.
Maritime analyst Alphaliner noted the new service its weekly newsletter Tuesday; JOC confirmed the new service details with Zim.
In a November interview with JOC.com, Zim CEO and President Eli Glickman said the carrier would launch new services to attract cargoes that normally moved via air transport before air freight rates rocketed as passenger jets were parked amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Glickman said Zim prides itself on its ability to roll out new services in weeks, rather that the months it takes larger carriers.
Zim last June reentered the Asia-US West Coast trade with expedited service to Los Angeles, and then in February launched a Southeast Asian express service to Los Angeles and Tacoma that in seven weeks will also begin calling Yantian, China.
In March, the Israel-based carrier said it expects an even stronger 2021 performance on forecasts of continued volume and rate strength, after achieving net income of $542.2 million for 2020, the highest in its 75-year history.