Israeli liner carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Services is launching a new service between Asia and the U.S. East Coast via the Suez Canal at the end of May.
The 10-ship loop will call in South China, Vietnam, Colombo, New York, Savannah and Norfolk, and is designed to provide fast transit from Asia to New York.
The new service, which ZIM has dubbed the Seven Star Express (Z7S), will commence May 29 with a rotation of Da Chan Bay, Yantian, Cai Mep, Singapore, Colombo, New York, Savannah, Norfolk, Singapore, and Da Chan Bay.
ZIM, which will operate the service completely with its own vessels, will deploy 10 ships with capacity between 5,000 TEUs and 6,500 TEUs on a weekly schedule.
“The inauguration of the Z7S service marks the New Zims’s initiative to provide smart and exceptional solutions to our customers,” Rafi Danieli, Zim president and ceo, said. “Looking ahead, this new service is an additional phase of Zim’s strategy striving to respond to customers’ needs, as we have recently done with the “extra loaders” from Asia to the US East Coast; it is a strategy focused on customers’ needs and based on excellence and efficient service.
The company said in a statement the Z7S "offers the fastest transit time from Vietnam and from Indian ports via Colombo to the U.S." and will "cater for emerging markets in the South Asian region via Singapore and Colombo hubs, offering one of the fastest available connections to New York."
Danieli noted the new service "coincides with ZIM’s 70th anniversary. We are proud of our legacy, and look ahead with confidence."
