Freight forwarders focusing on West South America shipping routes shall take note. Maersk has recently announced the launch of AC1 a new weekly liner service connecting the Far East and West South America to further expand its shipping network covering west coast ports of Latin America.

According to Maersk’s official announcement the AC1 service will make its maiden voyage from Ningbo on July 5 2026. Its port rotation is listed as Ningbo Busan Lazaro Cardenas Mexico Buenaventura Colombia Posorja Ecuador Ningbo.

The service will deploy 8 container vessels with capacity ranging from 3400 TEU to 13200 TEU completing a full loop in around 56 days.

The maiden voyage will be operated by vessel OOCL BANGKOK departing from Ningbo on July 4. In the following weeks the route will be served successively by KOTA LUKIS DYROS NAVIOS DORADO HUA XIN 758 MSC MARTINA and other vessels.

Core Features Of The New AC1 Shipping Service

Flexible cargo shipment for East China shippers. As the origin port Ningbo enables direct cargo loading for goods from East China eliminating transit stops in Shanghai or Shenzhen.

Market coverage for South Korea. The inclusion of Busan in the port rotation offers South Korean exporters a new direct shipping option to West South America.

Direct calls at three core West South America ports. Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico Buenaventura in Colombia and Posorja in Ecuador cover major economic zones along the West South American coastline.

Flexible capacity adjustment via mixed vessel deployment. The 8-vessel fleet combines 13000 TEU large container ships and medium sized vessels of 3000 to 4000 TEU allowing flexible capacity allocation for peak and off peak shipping seasons.

Reasons Behind Maersk’s Port Selection

Lazaro Cardenas boasts one of the most modern container terminals on Mexico’s Pacific coast acting as a key gateway to Mexico City and central industrial zones. As Colombia’s largest port Buenaventura connects Bogota and local coffee producing areas. Posorja is an emerging deep water port in Ecuador with better water depth conditions than Guayaquil capable of direct berthing for ultra large 10000 TEU plus vessels. It serves as the core export hub for Ecuador’s banana flower and aquatic products. The three ports jointly form a complete export corridor covering areas from Mexico to Ecuador along West South America.

Three Practical Tips For Freight Forwarders

First East China exporters gain a new direct route to West South America. Previously goods shipped from East China to Mexico Colombia and Ecuador mostly required transit in Shanghai or Shenzhen. The new AC1 service offers direct loading at Ningbo for cargo from Zhejiang Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. Forwarders can inform clients with factories in East China of this new weekly direct service which cuts extra inland haulage to Shenzhen.

Second test shipment is recommended before bulk promotion during the service running in period. As a new layout on the Far East West South America route AC1 needs time to verify schedule reliability and port agency cooperation efficiency in West South America. Forwarders are advised to monitor vessel punctuality and destination port operation performance before recommending the route to major clients in bulk.

Third pay close attention to backhaul shipment capacity. The AC1 route operates in a closed loop with vessels loading export cargo from Posorja Buenaventura and Lazaro Cardenas for the return voyage to Asia. Forwarders can check backhaul freight rates and transit time for clients importing goods from West South America to China or South Korea to make full use of the route’s reverse capacity.

West South America routes have always been a competitive battlefield for global liner carriers with MSC COSCO SHIPPING and Evergreen scaling up investment in this market. Maersk’s launch of AC1 reflects its positive outlook on the sustained growth of West South America cargo demand. For freight forwarders expanded shipping options enable diversified quotation strategies. Forwarders can highlight the unique port calling features and transit advantages of AC1 to persuade clients to choose this new service.