SHIPPING giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is introducing changes to its GULF and SAEC string 1 service, with the insertion of an eighth vessel for a 56-day rotation, reports London's Port Technology.

The Port of Mobile in Alabama, will be added to the GULF service with the inaugural voyage from Veracruz taking place on May 18 onboard the MV Athens Glory. The first call to Mobile is scheduled to be on May 26.

The new rotation of the service will be as follows: Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, Mobile, Cristobal, Cartagena, Santos, Itapoa, Navegantes, Paranagua, Santos, Rio De Janeiro, Salvador, Cartagena, Cristobal and returning to Veracruz.

The Brazilian Suape Port has been removed from the rotation.

The service's addition of Mobile will add another entry point for US-bound cargo and is thus expected to facilitate further trade across the US and South America, MSC said in a statement.

Regardless of the operational changes, capacity will remain unaffected.

This addition to the port rotation comes two weeks after MSC enhanced its Australia Express Service (AEX) having added a direct call at Ennore, India, on the services' westbound leg to be operational from June 2023.

Earlier last month, MSC took delivery of another 24,100 TEU megaship, MSC Raya, which is a part of the world's largest series of containerships, from China's Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.