News / MSC's Britannia brings Liverpool its first regular Far East-Europe direct call

MSC is making a play to attract shippers in the UK’s north as it sets out its post-2M stall, with the launch of its Britannia service, described as “ground-breaking”.

Britannia’s inaugural call, by the 8,533 teu MSC Tokyo, at the Liverpool 2 container terminal last week marked a first for the northern gateway, as it was the first service on a Far East-Europe rotation to feature a regular call at the port.

Alphaliner noted that “Liverpool had occasionally been served from Asia, but in most cases service was provided by niche operators with infrequent or temporary calls”.

The carrier said future Britannia loops would feature vessels offering up to 13,500 teu of capacity, calling at Liverpool having run non-stop from Cai Mep, before going on to Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp and Le Havre.

Lauding the loop for its “significant benefit for Liverpool, and indeed the north,” Peel claimed it offered “a smarter and more sustainable solution” for reaching major UK distribution hubs.

One source told The Loadstar: “It is certainly a ground-breaker in terms of how the UK is covered, and I see it very much as MSC’s effort to mitigate the hub-and-spoke model its 2M partner Maersk intends to offer in partnership with Hapag-Lloyd.

“MSC has boots on the ground in Liverpool, it has tapped into that market and it recognises that shippers very much favour direct calls.”

Traditionally, larger vessels have tended to call at the UK’s southern ports on direct calls, but the source believed MSC putting its first service into the northern gateway indicated that it saw potential in the region.

But that it chose L2 as its stopping point is, perhaps, not surprising, given that MSC Group bought into the terminal in 2019, and have run it as joint-venture with Liverpool operator Peel Ports since.

“I don’t doubt that this is MSC prepping for its parting of the way with Maersk, and I am all but certain that, because it is MSC, the service will prove successful. It would not have done this unless it was confident of filling the space,” the source added.