Zim launches South China - Los Angeles express service aimed at e-commerce customers
Source
American Shipper
Post Date
06/08/2020
Zim has announced the launch on 22 June of a direct weekly South China - USWC ¡®Zim eCommerce Xpress¡¯ service (ZEX) which will specifically cater for time-sensitive cargoes.
The service will turn in five weeks, calling at Dachan Bay, Yantian, Los Angeles (WBCT-Yang Ming Terminal), Dachan Bay. The size of the five vessels for the ¡®ZEX¡¯ service has yet to be revealed but is expected to be in the 2,000 - 3,000 teu size range. The ¡®ZEX¡¯ will offer the fastest service between South China and California, with a transit time of only twelve days between Yantian and Los Angeles.
Cargoes will be available at Los Angeles on Mondays and rail connections will be offered to Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, Kansas City and New York.
The ¡®ZEX¡¯ service is conceived as an native to air freight and is aimed at the needs of e-commerce customers, which have generated increased demand following the COVID-19 crisis.
Zim will guarantee space and equipment availability to avoid the rolling of cargo and commits to paying back the customers their money if the container is not delivered on the guaranteed date.
The new service marks a return of ZIM on the China - Pacific South West (California) route as the carriers other transpacific services are focused on the Pacific North West range
ZIM has been absent from the China - California trade since August 2016, when it ceased to take slots on the former Evergreen ChinaPacific South West¡¯ service (CPS), according to Alphaliners records.
As for ZIM tonnage, the last ZIM-controlled ships to have offered eastbound Far East - California sailings were observed in April 2004, trading on the carrier¡¯s Med - US - Far East pulum ZCS¡¯.
With the launch of its new service, Zim plans to take advantage of a recent surge in Far East - USWC spot rates. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, spot rates on this route had risen to an 18-month high, following significant supply cuts in May, when the cancellation of some 40 Far East - USWC sailings somewhat unexpectedly cause a sudden capacity shortage in the
