HONG KONG's Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has announced that its all-water Savannah New York Express (NYE) and South China East Coast Express (SCE) Asia loops to US east coast will be merged into a new NYE/SCE Combo for the winter.

"Market conditions will continue to be monitored while this service arrangement runs until approximately May of 2014," said the OOCL statement.

Specifically, the NYE's last sailing will be that of the 4,922-TEU Hyundai Grace 052E departing Kaohsiung on October 28. The SCE's last sailing will be the 3,320-TEU ZIM Haifa 39E departing Xiamen on October 24.

The new NYE/SCE Combo port rotation will be: Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, Shanghai-Yangshan, Busan, Manzanillo, Kingston, Savannah, Charleston, New York, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Kingston, Manzanillo, Balboa, Busan and back to Xiamen.

The new NYE/SCE starts with the sailing of the 3,310-TEU ZIM Ontario 22E on Week 44, departing Xiamen on November 1.