Maersk is focusing on the expanding India-US trade and has included a stop at Mundra in its MECL1 service.

Maersk is aiming to increase its share of the high-potential India-US market, spurred by trade diversification across Asia. The Danish shipping giant plans to enhance its MECL1 service, giving it a competitive edge against leading players like CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and MSC.

As part of the changes, MECL1 will omit a stop at Algeciras, Spain, and instead add Mundra to its existing stops at Nhava Sheva and Pipavav. This update, set to take effect in March, is expected to improve transit times for Indian shipments bound for the US East and Gulf coasts.

Algeciras has been a key hub for Maersk’s Africa, Europe, and Far East routes, and eliminating this call will allow Maersk to dedicate more resources to strengthening its India-US services.

With this modification, MECL1 will better serve Indian customers, offering faster connections to the US, which is seen as a growing market. This shift also signals Maersk’s strategy to gain ground in India-US cargo, especially as it enters new collaborations on other trade routes.

Meanwhile, Maersk’s new Gemini partnership with Hapag-Lloyd does not cover India-US trade, though the two carriers have the flexibility to cooperate on other routes. Hapag-Lloyd, for its part, has introduced its own standalone TPI service, serving the India-US East Coast with a rotation that includes Port Qasim, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, and Charleston.

Similarly, CMA CGM continues to operate its Indamex loop, with a rotation that covers the same ports, while MSC offers two weekly sailings on the India-North America trade, albeit with longer transit times due to a wider range of stops.

Singapore’s ONE is also capitalizing on the India-North America trade, launching its WIN service in May 2024, though some gaps in vessel availability have led to occasional blank sailings.

Despite the expansion of services, all carriers are facing challenges in matching supply with demand, leading to downward adjustments in rates. The average cost for shipments from Nhava Sheva or Mundra to North America has dropped significantly, from $11,000 per feu to around $1,500, reflecting the intense competition and market shifts.