In abold response to rising freight rates and strengthening trans-Pacificdemand, major ocean carriers are revving up capacity with newcontainer services linking Asia to the United States.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, operating under theirGemini Cooperation vessel-sharing alliance, announced a new expresstrans-Pacific service connecting Xiamen and Busan toLong Beach. The first sailing is scheduled for June24 aboard the 4,622-TEU Rhone Maersk, promising an18-day transit time from Xiamen to Long Beach. The service, brandedTP9/WC6, reflects a renewed optimism in market momentum.
Meanwhile, Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) ispreparing to restart its Empire service—suspendedjust weeks ago—connecting Shanghai to the Port of New Yorkand New Jersey, beginning June 18 with the 6,730-TEU MSCBarbara. Six more ships are scheduled to follow through July.
These service enhancements come on the heels of a dramatic surgein spot freight rates. According to Platts (S&P Global), ratesfrom North Asia to the US West Coast have nearlydoubled—from $1,960 per FEU in mid-April to $3,840per FEU by May 23. This spike coincides with a temporaryreprieve in U.S.-China trade tariffs, which reinvigorated demand andled carriers to quickly restore capacity after earlier withdrawals.
Data from ocean analytics provider eeSeaforecasts a sharp increase in deployed container ship capacity acrossthe Pacific. In June, trans-Pacific vessel capacity is expected toreach 1.268 million TEUs, the highest since November2024. Blanked (cancelled) sailings will drop to just 113,234TEUs, marking a year-low.
However, whether this capacity boost can balance the price surgeremains uncertain. A U.S.-based Taiwanese carrier executive toldJournal of Commerce that some capacity had been diverted toother global trade lanes and may not return until early July.
Yet, not all players are on equal footing. According to Alphalineranalyst Tan Hua Joo, Gemini partners like Maersk andHapag-Lloyd, who maintained steady service levels throughout therecent market disruption, are well-positioned to benefit from therebound. "I expect there will be sufficient space available asall carriers are adding ships over the next three weeks," HuaJoo noted.
This wave of capacity realignment underscores a broader theme:carrier agility and market timing are more critical thanever. Shippers navigating U.S.-Asia supply chains mustclosely monitor both rate movements and service restorations tooptimize routing and inventory flow.
With new sailings on both the West and East Coasts,importers and exporters are encouraged to reassess transit timestrategies, especially for time-sensitive cargoes. As the mid-summerpeak approaches, capacity decisions made today could shapebottom-line performance for months to come.
Source:https://www.joc.com/article/ocean-carriers-bring-in-more-trans-pacific-container-services-amid-rate-surge-6012725
