News / Long-term lay-ups could be the only answer to grim Asia-Europe trade

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As Hong Kong-based container shipping line OOCL celebrated the launch of its latest 13,200teu container ship at the Geoje shipyard in South Korea, the prospects for the Asia-Europe trade, the lane on which it will operate, could hardly be more grim.

Christened the NYK Hercules and to be chartered by OOCL’s G6 alliance partner NYK, the addition of yet another ultra-large container vessel (ULCV – we have to opt for some sort of abbreviation, this one seems as good as any, ...