News Highlights week: 07 - 2023

Effective from 18 February, the Hong Kong based operator will remove Haiphong and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. As replacements, GSL will then include Yangon in Myanmar, Kattupalli in Eastern India, and Colombo in Sri Lanka into the ‘GKC’ loop. 

The revised ‘GKC’ will turn in three weeks (down one week), calling at Port Kelang, Yangon, Calcutta, Kattupalli, Colombo, Port Kelang. 
The 1,016 teu BIENDONG NAVIGATOR performed the loop’s last call at Haiphong on 12 February.
Following the revision, GSL continues to offer a direct link between Northern Vietnam and Eastern India with its ‘India Vietnam Express’ service (‘IVX’), which links South China, Northern and Central Vietnam, Malaysia and the eastern coast of India.
RCL and SITC partner in South China – Cambodia – Thailand trade 
Thai operator Regional Container Line (RCL) and Chinese carrier Shandong International Transportation Corporation (SITC) will later this month launch a joint service between South China, Cambodia and Thailand. 
Marketed as ‘RSK2’ and ‘new VTX4’ by the respective carriers, the upcoming loop will turn in two weeks, calling at Nansha, Shekou, Hong Kong, Sihanoukville, Laem Chabang, Nansha. 

RCL will operate the 1,650 teu LALIT BHUM which is scheduled to phase into the service on 3 March, while SITC is set to deploy the 1,704 teu INSIGHT, which will kick off the maiden voyage of ‘RSK2 / new VTX4’ from Nansha on 23 Feb. 
The upcoming ‘RSK2’ will partially replace RCL’s standalone South China - Northern Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand - Taiwan service, dubbed ‘RSK’, which the Thai carrier will soon cease to operate. 
For SITC meanwhile, this new ‘VTX4’ will encompass the South China - Cambodia - Thailand segment of its old ‘VTX4’ service, which used to serve South China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines until its closure in January. 
As of last month, SITC has also expanded two of its existing loops covering parts of the previous ‘VTX4’ and improving the carrier’s overall coverage of Eastern Malaysia: 
The first is the South China - Myanmar - Malaysia - Northern Vietnam service ‘CMM’, which was extended to include Sihanoukville, Kuching and Bintulu. 
TH the second is SITC’s China - Malaysia - Indonesia service ‘CMI2’, which was extended to cover Laem Chabang, Batangas and Manila.