Korea Marine Transport Co. (KMTC) returns to the trans-Pacific route market after 40 years of dormancy. This South Korean shipping company is rejoining this route for the first time since 1985. For this comeback, KMTC will operate a joint service with SeaLead Shipping and TS Lines.

Capacity Arrangements

It is understood that this route linking China and the U.S. West Coast is scheduled to commence operations on June 18, utilizing six container vessels with capacities ranging from 3,000 to 10,100 TEU. KMTC will deploy a 6,655 TEU container vessel named KMTC Mundra (built in 2008), operating in collaboration with three vessels from SeaLead and two vessels from TS Lines.

Currently, this container vessel is docked at the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Over the past three months, it has made port calls at various ports including Shanghai, India's Mundra, Port Klang in Malaysia, and Karachi in Pakistan.

Several shipping companies returning to the trans-Pacific route

Simultaneously, members of the "Premier Alliance" alliance — Ocean Network Express (ONE), HMM, and Yang Ming — are set to resume the previously suspended "PS5" service on June 5. The inaugural voyage will be carried out by the "YM Mobility" (6,589 TEU, built in 2011). The resumption of these services comes after the 90-day "window" of tariff suspension between the U.S. and China, following a surge in cargo volumes. In the past week, freight rates have soared, and major shipping lines also plan to implement rate increases starting from June 1.