Maersk ships to bypass Panama Canal

Maersk has made changes to its container service between Oceania and the Americas.

The shipping company is moving containers that would normally travel by ship through the Panama Canal onto a so-called landbridge routing.

The move is in response to continued restrictions on transits that are based on the Panama Canal Authority’s (ACP) current and projected water levels in Gatun Lake. The ACP has made reductions to the amount and weight of vessels that can pass through the canal.

Maersk said in a customer bulletin that while it continues “to work closely with the ACP, moderating and aligning our operations to fit the changes, we have made changes to services to ensure that our customers are impacted as minimally as possible.”

A land bridge

The OC1 service, operating between Oceania and the Americas, will now see vessels stopping at either end of the canal. The “land bridge” uses rail to transport cargo across the 80 km of Panama to the other side.

This creates two separate loops, one Atlantic and one Pacific. Pacific vessels will turn at Balboa, Panama, dropping off cargo heading for Latin America and North America and picking up cargo heading for Australia and New Zealand. Atlantic vessels will turn at Manzanillo, Panama, dropping off cargo heading for Australia and New Zealand and picking up cargo heading for Latin and North America.

On northbound vessels, Maersk said there are no delays to cargo stopping in Philadelphia and Charleston. However, on southbound vessels, customers may experience some delays.

The route will also be omitting Cartagena. Customers with cargo to route through Cartagena will be served through alternate vessels.

Maersk’s PANZ service from the US West Coast to Oceania will continue to provide coverage from both coasts.

Maersk said it is staying in close contact with the Panama Canal Authority.