By Paul Richardson, AJOTTowards the end of July, major container shipping line, Zim Integrated Shipping Services (ZISS) will launch a new service network product that effectively splits its flagship service, known since its inauguration back in the 90’s, as the Zim Container Service (ZCS). Whilst the move may seem a little insignificant in the entire container shipping industry status, such belief could not be further from the truth. The ZCS is being split into two separate loops – one, known as the Zim Container Pacific service (ZCP) covering the Far East/US East Coast trade, the other, known as the Zim Container Atlantic service (ZCA), but each has a common factor in its market coverage and port rotation – they both use Kingston as their transhipment base for US Gulf volumes. For Zim, Kingston has now emerged as the big centre for moving containers over the US Gulf locations, including ports such as Mobile and Houston, and indeed with volumes growing over the port, the latest move to add a double dip connection with more capacity is a clear indication that US Gulf volumes are increasing. Under the old-style ZCS structure, Zim moved container cargo on one direct loop that linked the Mediterranean with the US East Coast, Kingston, the US West Coast and the Far East on west and eastbound legs. That service has operated with 14 panamax vessels with a maximum capacity of 5,000 teu. Under the new ZCP/ZCA service structure, the same number of vessels will operate, but importantly, there will be 5,000 teu vessels on the Pacific section, and 4,250 teu vessels on the Atlantic part – a move that effectively almost doubles weekly capacity to cater for market demand. Added to that is the factor that almost 40% of the extra capacity will be used to cater for the Kingston transhipment demand, and of that figure, a major percentage will be moved on the Kingston/US Gulf feeder runs. This is clear indication that the trade growth within the Gulf area remains an important focus for container shipping lines. Elsewhere, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has set up a similar transhipment shop at Freeport in the Bahamas, and today operates an extensive network of services with mainhaul links including the Far East, North Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa. MSC has at least five feeder services connecting over Freeport with the US Gulf ports, and as volumes on certain mainhaul trades are set to increase in a more positive market environment, there are expectations that more feeder links over the big US Gulf ports will increase. Much of the attraction of these transhipment ports within close proximity feeder transits has come from their ability to cater for vessels in the panamax capacity league – something that does provide benefit to the Gulf ports. But ports like Houston and New Orleans are rapidly moving ahead with their ability to cater for vessels well into the post-panamax class and over 8,000 teu capacity. MSC again has led the field with its ability to recognise the potential of multi-market sectors, and evolved back in April this year as the first container shipping line to deploy tonnage in this capacity bracket to direct calls at both US Gulf ports when the 8,034 teu MSC Maeva arrived and was successfully handled. MSC’s Europe/USEC/US Gulf service comes into Houston and New Orleans on the South Atlantic rotation and presently operates with a mix of vessels between 6,700 and 8,000 teu capacity. Port rotation of the service is: Antwerp, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport, Vera Cruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans Freeport, Savannah, Charleston and back to Antwerp. Transit times include northbound from Houston into Antwerp in just 21 days and from New Orleans to the first Europe inbound port in only 18 days – recorded as being one of the fastest. One of the big success stories of ports like Houston centers on the setting up of close proximity distribution centres by the big conglomerates such as Walmart and Home Depot righ