The Asia New Zealand Express (ANZEX) will drop the ports of Noumea and Suva and sail from Shanghai instead of Hong Kong starting November 14, announced CMA CGM.

CMA CGM said in a statement it plans to offer calls to Fiji and Noumea on a different service.

According to BlueWater Reporting, CMA CGM buys slots and/or operates vessels on 10 other services between Asia and Oceania.

China Shipping and Pacific Direct Lines will also join the service, reported American Shipper, adding that the loop will deploy seven vessels in the 4,250-TEU range and continue sailing on a 49-day rotation.

According to BlueWater Reporting, this will increase current average vessel capacity 70 per cent, up from ships in the 2,503 TEU range.

The new port rotation for ANZEX will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Kaohsiung, Brisbane, Auckland, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Napier, Tauranga, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Shekou, Keelung and back to Shanghai.

Carriers operating and offering slots on ANZEX along with CMA CGM are ANL, OOCL, PIL and US Lines.