Container operators CMA CGM, United Arab Shipping Company, China Shipping Container Lines, Hamburg Sud, Hapag-Lloyd and NYK will be starting up two new loops NEX1 and NEX2 between Asia and the East Coast of South America through a vessel sharing agreement.

The new loops — NEX1 (New East Coast South America Express 1) and NEX2 (New East Coast South America Express 2) — will make use of 23 containerships, each between 8,000 and 10,000 TEUs, operated by the six shipping companies, thus enabling calls at many ports in the area.

The first sailing of the NEX2 will leave Busan July 11 on the CSCL Africa. The carriers will deploy 12 vessels 8,000-10,000-TEU vessels on the service on a port rotation of Busan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Singapore, Port Kelang, Santos, Paranagua, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Rio Grande, Itapoa, Santos, Port Kelang, Singapore and Busan.

The NEX1 will stem from the joint Maersk Line, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM ASAS service, which will split into two strings after the July 3 sailing of the Tubul from Busan, according to carriers’ online service schedules.