Members of the Grand Alliance group Hapag-Lloyd, MISC Berhad (MISC), Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) will be launching a new weekly service ' ABX (Asia ' Black Sea Express) to cover the Asia-Black Sea Market. The new service is scheduled to commence from Shanghai in late June 2007.

A total of 7 x 3,000 teu vessels will be deployed in the new service to cover the following ports: Shanghai / Ningbo / Shekou / Singapore / Damietta / Istanbul / Constanza / Odessa / Izmir / Damietta / Singapore / Shanghai.

The new addition to the Grand Alliance product will further enhance the Grand Alliance network on a fast growing market and cater to its growing customers' needs.

The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is the leading integrated consortium in global container shipping. It currently offers a total of nineteen services (loops) in the major East-West trade lanes, including one pendulum loop plus three services on slot exchange with another consortium.