Grand Alliance merges Pacific services into one loop

Grand Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) have agreed to merge the SCX (South China Sea Express) and the JCX (Japan China Express) into a single loop. The new service took effect from May 25, 2009, sailing from Thailand.

Grand Alliance customers will be offered the same port coverage options under the new service. One additional vessel of 6,200 TEU will be added on the SCX service, and Japanese ports previously covered on the JCX will be covered by the upgraded SCX service.

Kaohsiung will be transferred to the Super Shuttle Express (SSX) service on the Trans-Pacific eastbound call, while the westbound call on SCX will remain unchanged.

Port rotation for both services is as follows:

SCX: Laem Chabang - Singapore - Kobe - Nagoya - Tokyo - Sendai - Los Angeles - Oakland - Tokyo - Nagoya - Kobe - Kaohsiung - Shekou - Laem Chabang

SSX: Shekou - Yantian - Hong Kong - Kaohsiung - Long Beach - Kaohsiung - Xiamen - Hong Kong - Shekou.