SM Line is making an entry into Indian trades via a slot-sharing agreement on weekly Intra-Asia services that will call Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Pipavav and Chennai.
The six-vessel consortium reportedly includes NYK, HLL, YML & XPF and SM Line will have slot spaces for 250 TEUs per sailing.
The 5,551-TEU YM Green will make the first JNPT call on April 7.
The joint loop, which SM Line will market as the West India (WIN) Service, has the following Port rotation : Shanghai, Ningbo and Shekou,
China; Singapore; Port Klang, Malaysia; JNPT and Pipavav, India; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Port Klang; Singapore, Vung Tau, Vietnam;
Hong Kong; and back to Shanghai.
SM Line will venture into South India with 180 TEU slots on EIN service.
Maiden voy of EIN service CSCL Vancouver will call Chennai on 1st May, according to company sources.
Rotation : Pusan, Korea; Qingdao, Shanghai, Shekou, China; Singapore; Port Klang, Malaysia; Chennai, India; Port Klang; Singapore, Manila and back to Pusan.
To steer its Indian operations, the carrier has set up a local subsidiary named SM Line Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd in Mumbai. Sub Agency in other locations will be handled by Merchant Shipping Services Pvt.Ltd.
“SM will also offer service to Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong via Vung Tau; Chittagong, Yangoon via PKG & SIN, Pusan and Qingdao via Port Klang; and Long Beach via Shanghai,” SM Line (India) said in a trade advisory recently.
SM Line’s Intra-Asia service network includes three other loops: Korea Japan Express (KJX), Vietnam Thailand Express (VTX), and Korea Haiphong Express (KHX).
SM Line will shortly add own feeder network into Bangladesh [Chittagong], Myanmar [Yangoon] & Indoneasia [Jakarta, Surabaya] markets, added the company sources.[/vc_column_text]
