SIMIC

SINGAPORE-HEADQUARTERED Ocean Network Express (ONE) has unveiled plans for its first standalone container service from India to the US East Coast, aimed at capitalizing on India's fast-growing export market.

ONE said in a statement that the West India North America (WIN) service will offer weekly routes beginning in May 2024 from India's west coast ports of Hazira, Nhava Sheva and Mundra to the US East Coast, with calls at New York-New Jersey, Savannah, Jacksonville, Charleston and Norfolk, reports New York's Journal of Commerce.



The service will also include calls at Egypt's Port of Damietta, Algeciras in Spain and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for transshipment options within the Mediterranean region. The WIN service will use a string of nine ships exclusively operated by ONE and offer "reliability and flexibility" to shippers, the carrier said.



ONE already offers two other services from India to the US East Coast. The carrier is in a vessel-sharing and slot charter agreement with Hapag-Lloyd, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and CMA CGM on the India America Express Service (Indamex), which runs a string of up to 10 ships with average capacity of about 10,000 TEU.



ONE also has an agreement to charter up to 300 TEU on the India America Express 2 (Indamex2) service jointly operated by Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM with nine vessels of capacity up to 6,500 TEUs.



Apramapar Singh, general manager of India marketing for ONE India, said in the statement the WIN service will be targeted toward US importers of retail goods such as electronics, apparel, textiles and foodstuffs, while chemical shippers will have more access to Indian industrial customers.



"Hazira container terminal is a gateway to the industrially vibrant belt of South Gujarat, North Maharashtra and Central India," Mr Singh said. "ONE's new WIN [service] will provide customers in this region with a fast and direct service to meet their needs for on-time delivery to and from North America."