In mid June Ocean Alliance consisting of CMA CGM COSCO SHIPPING OOCL and Evergreen updated the port rotation of its AEU7 service. Instead of adding or removing minor calling ports the alliance officially included Gdansk Poland into its core Asia Europe trunk liner loop. Starting from August the Far East North Europe route operated by COSCO SHIPPING and OOCL will set Gdansk as a key calling port in the Baltic region alongside Rotterdam Hamburg Zeebrugge and Felixstowe.

According to DynaLiners and multiple industry media the revised port rotation of AEU7 is listed as Rotterdam Hamburg Gdansk Zeebrugge Felixstowe Port Klang Shanghai Xiamen Hong Kong Yantian Cai Mep Singapore and back to Rotterdam.

As Poland’s largest port Gdansk ranks among the most vital container gateway ports on the Baltic coast. Its hinterland coverage extends beyond Poland covering Czechia Slovakia Hungary the three Baltic States namely Lithuania Latvia Estonia as well as western Belarus and western Ukraine.

In the past cargo shipped from China to the above regions was mostly discharged at Hamburg or Rotterdam followed by rail or truck transshipment. The whole transit process took extra time and major North European ports are prone to severe congestion during peak shipping seasons.

The new direct call at Gdansk under AEU7 builds a brand new direct shipping lane from Asia to Baltic countries. It serves as an alternative route bypassing North European port congestion ideal for time sensitive high value cargo including electronic products auto parts and fast moving consumer goods.

Operated jointly by COSCO SHIPPING and OOCL the AEU7 route opens shared container slots for all Ocean Alliance members including CMA CGM COSCO SHIPPING Evergreen and OOCL. The participation of multiple carriers diversifies booking resources and saves forwarders from relying on a single shipping line for space reservation. Supported by optimized capacity allocation of Ocean Alliance Gdansk has been upgraded from a feeder transit port to a direct calling port on the Asia Europe trunk route.

Baltic Hub located in Gdansk is the largest and fastest growing container terminal across the Baltic area. It boasts favorable water depth to accommodate 24000 TEU ultra large container vessels and delivers higher terminal handling efficiency than surrounding peer ports.

It is worth noting that AEU7 was officially launched in early June 2026. Its maiden vessel COSCO SHIPPING AQUARIUS was scheduled to berth at Gdansk at the end of August. The route expanded its calling port scope within less than three months after official launch which is a rare adjustment rhythm for large liner carriers. This move reveals carriers’ optimistic forecast on surging cargo demand towards the Baltic region.

Three Development Directions For Freight Forwarders

First forwarders gain differentiated quotation advantages for Central European and Baltic bound cargo. Previously forwarders could only offer routing plans via Hamburg or Rotterdam plus inland transportation for clients shipping goods to Central Europe and Baltic countries. The newly added direct call at Gdansk cuts transit procedures and stabilizes transit time. Forwarders can actively inform clients of the new Ocean Alliance direct service to stand out among competitors.

Second cargo shippers from East China and South China both get matched shipping solutions. South China ports including Xiamen Hong Kong and Yantian are arranged on the return leg while East China port Shanghai remains on the rotation. Given different port coverage and vessel schedule connection status forwarders shall check official arrival window released on carrier systems before confirming shipment bookings.

Third backhaul shipping capacity deserves close attention. Gdansk serves as a core return calling port equal to Rotterdam and Hamburg. Forwarders can track backhaul freight rates and transit time for clients importing goods from Poland and Baltic countries to China. Baltic countries are major suppliers of timber pulp and chemical products for China and the new direct backhaul lane provides extra import routing options for Chinese importers.

Adding Gdansk to the Asia Europe large loop is more than a simple port addition. Essentially Ocean Alliance takes preemptive layout to seize cargo market share in the Baltic direction. Factories warehouses and consumer markets in Central and Eastern Europe raise higher requirements for supply chain timeliness. Direct calls at Baltic ports have evolved from an optional routing to a necessary routing for global shipping supply chains.