TRIESTE – A new MSC container shipping service linking the Northern Adriatic with the Far East is expected to launch at the beginning of summer.
There has been no official confirmation yet, but rumors are spreading at the Port of Trieste following reports on foreign industry websites about the cancellation of a service that, in fact, was never launched after the end of the 2M alliance between MSC and Maersk.
In the meantime, direct connections with China and other Far Eastern ports are still available via Gemini services (Maersk and Hapag Lloyd), though only through Koper and Rijeka, and via the Ocean Alliance.
At present, MSC continues to offer a service with transshipment through ports in Malta and Egypt.
It remains difficult to predict what the landscape will look like by the end of the year, especially with the shifts expected in the coming months: Maersk has decided to route the Gemini “spokes” through Trieste and Venice, while Hapag Lloyd may take on a different role.
Meanwhile, part of Italy’s container traffic has chosen to stick with Maersk and move through the port of Koper. In April, Trieste Marine Terminal recorded a nearly 30% drop in TEU handled (although a more detailed analysis is needed), while still maintaining a 20% increase over the first four months of 2024.
