Grand Alliance and ZIM to cooperate with Hamburg Sud on ATX service

Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), together with ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, will cooperate with Hamburg Sud on the Atlantic Express Service (ATX).

The ATX service is currently operated by the Grand Alliance and ZIM. Port rotation will remain the same Rotterdam/ Hamburg/ Le Havre/ Southampton/ New York/ Norfolk/ Charleston/ Rotterdam. Initially chartering slots, Hamburg Sud may provide a vessel to the service at a later stage.

The agreement is still subject to FMC approval which is expected by mid-June. The cooperation is aimed at addressing declining Transatlantic volumes.

Zim has been operating on this service with the GA since 2008.

The Grand Alliance, formed in 1998, is the leading integrated consortium in global container shipping. Its members are Hapag-Lloyd (Germany), MISC Berhad (Malaysia), NYK (Japan) and OOCL (Hong Kong). MISC Berhad does not operate on this trade and therefore has not participated in this particular agreement.