MSC to Resume Maple Service on Transpacific Route

MSC Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) plans to resume its Maple service, which will sail from Yantian, China and include Vancouver, Canada in its full rotation, starting from October 28, 2016. Maple is an exclusive MSC provision, and since September has omitted three calls during the so-called ‘Golden Week’ period, the company said. MSC added it will now resume its full service with a rotation which sees the containership MSC Rochelle departing Yantian on October 28, and calling Shanghai (China), Busan (South Korea), Long Beach (US) and Vancouver. The service was first introduced in mid-September on the Transpacific Trade, in an effort to minimize the effects of Hanjin Shippings decision to file for bankruptcy at the end of August. Maersk, which forms the 2M Alliance together with MSC, joined the companys efforts to cover Hanjins operations by announcing a new service between Asia and the US West Coast, the TP1 service. When asked about the possibility to suspend the TP1 service on the Transpacific Trade, Maersk Line told World Maritime News that the TP1 will continue to exist. We are currently reviewing the plans for TP1 and ate customers and market in due time. In the meantime we are deploying extraloaders according to customers’ needs, Maersk added.