CMA CGM and Evergreen will commence a new joint service connecting North China and Japan with the US west coast, on which APL will take slots from CMA CGM starting May 19.

The French shipping line is launching the service it calls, 'Japan North China' (JNC), to boost market share on the Japan-US trade route from a paltry 1.9 per cent at present, while APL will brand it 'Japan North China Express' (JNE), reported Alphaliner.

The port rotation is: Xingang, Qingdao, Kobe, Nagoya, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Oakland, Tokyo, Kobe, Xingang. The service will turn in six weeks and deploy six ships of 4,200 TEU, with CMA CGM and Evergreen contributing three vessels each. APL will have a fixed allocation of 300 TEU per week.FAXTEXT = This new service will encompass the Japan-US service currently offered by CMA CGM and by Evergreen through slots on the 'Japan America Shuttle' (JAS) jointly operated by MOL and "K" Line.