ESSEX port Tilbury has lost three joint Hamburg Sud-Hapag-Lloyd services, of which CMA CGM is a slot charterer on two, to the UK's newest port, London Gateway due to its narrow tidal window.

The transfer will take place within three months on services covering the east coast of South America, west coast of South America, plus Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, and North American west coasts.

Tilbury's berth restrictions will have contributed to the port switch which can handle vessels up to 7,100 TEU but if the German carriers' introduce 9,500 TEU vessels and there remains risk of delay in sail time limitations, reports Containerisation International.

London Gateway has secured one customer, another transfer from Tilbury in November, since opening last year with an initial annual capacity of 1.6 million TEU in the Southern Africa Europe Container Service, operated by Maersk Line, Safmarine, Mitsui OSK Lines and Deutsche Afrika.

The transfer to London Gateway follows Forth Ports' operated Tilbury's recent acquisition of three services from German shortsea operator Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei in a transfer from North Sea coastal port of Felixstowe.

Tilbury lost its CMA CGM shortsea arm MacAndrews to London Gateway neighbour Thamesport. Thamesport also gained shorts operator A2B-online following its own loss of Evergreen to Felixstowe and a G6 loop to Southampton.