Sinotrans quits transpacific, shuts Long Beach agency

CHINESE shipping line Sinotrans Container Lines (Sinolines) has exited the transpacific trade and temporarily closed its exclusive North American agency in Long Beach.

The carrier had been engaged in the trade since mid-November last year on Cosco Container Lines' weekly Central China-Long Beach Express (CLX) service, which Cosco's latest schedule describes as being "on hiatus."

The CLX had used four containerships averaging 2,800 TEU on a rotation of Ningbo, Shanghai, Long Beach and back to Ningbo.

Before the partnership with Cosco, Sinolines was part of a vessel sharing agreement with CSAV Norasia and Wan Hai Lines that came to an end towards the end of last year when the MTP loop was scrapped.

A spokesman for Sinotrans Shipping Agency (NA) Inc, the carrier's US agency that is temporarily suspending operations, said the carrier is looking for another service partner to re-enter the transpacific sometime later this year.