MSC Optimizes Asia to West Coast USA Route Network, Adjusts Three Major Services

MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) announced on April 3 that it will implement service optimization and adjustments to its ORIENT, SENTOSA, and CHINOOK routes operating on the Asia–West Coast United States network, aiming to further enhance service stability and schedule reliability. The changes involve revised port rotation, expanded route coverage, and refined operational rhythm.

Following the adjustment, the ORIENT service will commence from Qingdao as the first port of call, replacing the previous Haiphong. The new port rotation is: Qingdao – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Long Beach – Qingdao.

Meanwhile, the Port of Oakland will no longer be included on this route. By reducing the number of port calls and optimizing port cycles, the service can effectively avoid congestion risks at certain ports, improving on-time performance and overall reliability.

The upgraded SENTOSA service will add a call at Haiphong, Vietnam. The new port rotation is: Singapore – Port Klang – Laem Chabang – Vung Tau – Haiphong – Yantian – Xiamen – Long Beach – Oakland – Busan – Ningbo – Singapore.

Compared with the previous scheme, the route offers more competitive transit times and expands port coverage while maintaining network stability.

After the adjustment, the CHINOOK service will exclude Haiphong. The new port rotation is: Vung Tau – Yantian – Ningbo – Shanghai – Qingdao – Busan – Seattle – Vancouver – Prince Rupert – Busan – Vung Tau.

This change helps increase schedule flexibility and reduce the impact of operational delays on subsequent port calls, delivering more stable and predictable service performance.

Effective sailings for all the above route changes have been confirmed. According to Mediterranean Shipping Company, the move aims to continuously improve service quality on the Asia–West Coast USA trade lane by optimizing port combinations and route structure.