Maersk Line will transform its TP12 service into a standalone, around-the-world service that provides significantly faster transit times between Far East Asia and the U.S. East Coast.

The TP12 service will transit the new Panama Canal locks and call the ports of Newark, Norfolk, and Baltimore. On the return leg to Asia, the TP12 will go through the Suez Canal and call the ports of Salalah (Oman), Colombo (Sri Lanka), and Singapore. This change will significantly improve Maersk Line’s product offering to shippers on the Far East Asia and the U.S. East Coast trade. For example, the transit times from Shanghai and Ningbo to Newark, Norfolk, and Baltimore are now five to ten days faster.

“We are changing our TP12 service to provide a better product to shippers in Korea, and northern and eastern China,” said Klaus Rud Sejling, head of the east-west network at Maersk Line. “By transiting the expanded Panama Canal, we will significantly reduce transit times into key ports on the U.S. East Coast. At the same time, we will reduce our CO2 and exhaust gas emissions due to the shorter distance.”

Maersk Line is also improving other services this summer. It will add Busan in South Korea to the westbound TP10 service. This will significantly improve transit times from Charleston and Savannah on the U.S. East Coast to Busan and North China.

In addition, Maersk Line will connect its TP11 and TP8 services to form a pendulum service that expands the coverage of both services. The TP18 service will remain unchanged.

There will be no changes to the capacity in Maersk Line’s Asia-U.S. East Coast network. Maersk Line will deploy 11 vessels of 8,500 TEU in the new TP12 service and 17 vessels of 8,500 TEU in the new TP11/TP8 pendulum service. The changes will take place during September 2016.