South Korean feeder operators, Korea Marine Transport Company (KMTC Line), Namsung, Pan Continental (PanCon Line) and CK Line, will launch a joint South Korea-China-Japan service in order to improve service efficiency.
The four companies said on 19 August that they will launch their CJ1 service, connecting South Korea’s Busan with Japan’s eastern coast and northern China.
The service will combine PanCon Line’s existing CJ1 service with the New China-Setouchi (NCS) service that is jointly operated by PanCon Line, KMTC Line, Namsung and CK Line.
The CJ1 schedule is Busan-Niigata-Toyama Shinko-Kanazawa-Tsuruga-Ulsan-Busan-Gwangyang-Ningbo-Shanghai-Busan.
Two 1,100TEU ships will be deployed to the revamped CJ1 service, which will commence on 22 August, with KMTC Line’s chartered ship, Mitra Bhum, departing Busan.
However, PanCon Sunshine will call at Tsuruga as the company monopolises freight transportation between Busan and Tsuruga.
The existing NCS service will be converted into a weekly shuttle service between South Korea and China. This service’s revised schedule will be Busan-Ulsan -Gwangyang-Shanghai-Nuingbo-Busan. PanCon will also be involved in the revised service through chartering slots on CK Line’s 1,040TEU Marcliff.
PanCon Line will redeploy PanCon Victory to its service to Hai Phong in Vietnam, and Namsung will use the 920TEU Star Express for the new Bohai Pendulum service, another South Korea-China-Japan route that it jointly operates with KMTC Line.
PanCon Line said, “By partnering with the three other shipping companies, we expect to reduce ship operation costs and improve service quality in South Korea, China and Japan.”
The revision to the CJ1 route comes just two weeks after the Korea Shipping Partnership was deemed “disappointing”, as the quasi-alliance of 14 local liner operators was deemed to have failed to streamline operations and reduce intense competition.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
