The pace of adjustment in the 2026 global container shipping market has accelerated markedly. On April 16, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) announced a systematic restructuring of its Empire, Amberjack and Emerald services on the Asia–US East Coast network, involving additions and removals of port calls across Asia and North America.
This marks another major optimization of the trans-Pacific network within one month, following MSC’s adjustment of three Asia–US West Coast routes in early April.
1.The dual logic of overcapacity and route adjustment
MSC’s move comes as no surprise amid the deep correction in the global container shipping market.
Since the start of 2026, trans-Pacific cargo demand has remained weak. According to shipping consultancy Drewry, import volumes at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports fell 8% E 5% year-on-year in December last year. Data from Linerlytica also shows trans-Pacific cargo volumes down 7.5% year-on-year, with overall demand persistently sluggish. Nel frattempo, a flood of ultra-large container vessels continues to be delivered, expanding capacity and widening the gap between supply and demand.
Despite weak demand and growing capacity, freight rates have risen. In March this year, Asia–US East Coast freight rates surpassed $3,000 per FEU. This was driven by liners aggressively blanking sailings to tighten slot supply and prop up rates. A total of 136 sailings were canceled on major trades including trans-Pacific and Asia–Europe in February, surging 122% mese dopo mese.
Port congestion continues to disrupt supply chains. March monitoring data shows schedule disruptions at US ports have spread from localized issues to an industry-wide problem: Newark was the first to face disruptions, followed by mass skipped calls at Norfolk. In the same month, Hapag-Lloyd confirmed in its North America operations update that some cargo would be rerouted to Norfolk and New York instead of Savannah and Charleston. Against this backdrop, liners have been forced to proactively optimize port rotation sequences to reduce delay risks.
2. MSC’s Three Route Adjustments: Different Focuses
From the overall perspective, the core logic of MSC’s recent adjustment is clear: to reduce dependence on congested ports, optimize the coverage network of key ports in Asia, and improve the punctuality rate of shipping routes. The role played by Qingdao Port in this process is particularly noteworthy: one route is removed, while another is added, resulting in vastly different fates.
Empire Route: Exit Qingdao, Add Norfolk and Port Everglades
The Empire route sees the most sweeping changes. Qingdao Port will be dropped from the rotation, replaced by US East Coast ports Norfolk and Port Everglades; Jacksonville and Miami will no longer be called.
New rotation: Shanghai – Ningbo – Busan – New York – Baltimore – Norfolk – Port Everglades – Rodman – Shanghai
The maiden voyage is GE622E, scheduled to arrive at Shanghai Port on May 25, 2026.
MSC stated that the revised port sequence will reduce operational risks from port congestion, improving schedule reliability and on-time arrival performance. Adding a call at Panama’s Rodman Port on the return leg also strengthens MSC’s transshipment connectivity at Central American hubs, helping to ease congestion pressure at US East Coast ports from volatile import flows.
Amberjack Route: Qingdao as First Port of Call; Xiamen & Shenzhen Out
The adjustment direction of the Amberjack route is almost opposite to that of Empire. Qingdao Port will join this route and be directly set as the first port of call for departures from Asia.
The adjusted sequence of ports is: Qingdao – Ningbo – Shangai – Pusan – Manzanillo – Cartagena – Charleston – Savana – Jacksonville – Kingston – Pusan – Qingdao
Yantian Port and Xiamen Port will be removed from this route, while the East Coast destination port has been changed from Norfolk to Jacksonville.
The first ship of this route, voyage 8E, is expected to arrive at Qingdao Port on May 20, 2026.
This adjustment sends multiple signals: Innanzitutto, Qingdao Port’s status as the first port of call on the Amberjack route means that cargo loaded in Qingdao will enjoy faster overall transit times.
In secondo luogo, the Amberjack route has added Kingston Port as a new call in the Caribbean region, and has established a Central American transit network through Manzanillo (Messico) and Cartagena (Colombia), further optimizing the route structure. MSC claims that this will help improve overall transit times and optimize port coverage under a more stable network structure.
Emerald Route: Kaohsiung Out, Xiamen In
The Emerald route adjustment in the third article will be relatively streamlined, with Kaohsiung Port being removed and Xiamen Port replacing it as the last port of call for Asian departures.
The adjusted Emerald route berthing sequence is: Singapore Vung Tau Haiphong Yantian Xiamen Kingston Charleston Savannah New York Boston Singapore
The first ship of this route is voyage 16E, expected to arrive at Singapore Port on May 16, 2026.
From the perspective of adjusting direction, MSC has placed Xiamen Port as the last stop from Asia to the East Coast of the United States. Goods exported from Xiamen will be directly docked at the three core ports in the East Coast of the United States, Charleston, Savana, e New York, through this route. Compared to the previous mode of requiring transshipment through other
porti, the direct shipping service from Xiamen to the East Coast of the United States is clearly more competitive.
3. Two Major Overhauls in One Month: What’s MSC Planning?
This is the second time in a month MSC has revised its Asia–North America routes. In early April, it optimized three Asia–US West Coast routes (Orient, Sentosa, Chinook), also adding or dropping Asian ports including Qingdao, Xiamen and Haiphong. A second major tweak to US East Coast routes in under a month underscores MSC’s intense focus on its trans-Pacific network.
The overall approach—optimizing port calls to limit congestion exposure and lift on-time performance—addresses the industry’s biggest challenge. Launching all three revised routes in mid-to-late May shows MSC aims to finalize its network overhaul ahead of the traditional peak shipping season.
Even as it doubles down on route adjustments, MSC continues to expand capacity. This month, it became the first container liner in history to operate a fleet of Sopra 1,000 vessels, with total capacity of 7.3 million TEU—about 57% higher than second-placed Maersk. Since the start of 2026, MSC has also been actively acquiring secondhand ships to grow its owned fleet.
4. Underlying Logic Behind the Route Changes
At a macro livello, MSC’s round of adjustments reflects two major shifts underway in container shipping:
Primo, from expansion to precision positioningAmid capacity surplus, simply adding routes no longer guarantees profitability. Systematically optimizing port rotations lets liners improve asset efficiency without adding capacity, while enhancing customer experience. MSC’s focus on “reducing congestion exposure and lifting on-time performance” embodies this shift.
Second, a subtle but significant shift in port rankingsQingdao Port’s “one out, one in” across the three US East Coast routes secures its first-call status on Amberjack, confirming its strategic role in MSC’s trans-Pacific network has been strengthened through more targeted route allocation. Xiamen Port’s entry into the Emerald route, replacing Kaohsiung, also highlights its rising competitiveness in direct US East Coast services.
Third, persistent uncertainty In 2026 shippingThe pace of Red Sea normalisation, developments in the Middle East, and the direction of US tariff policy remain major variables for route planning. Linerlytica forecasts trans-Pacific cargo volumes will stay weak for all of 2026, especially during the traditional peak window of June–September. In this market, refined route network operational capabilities will be the key differentiator among liners.
For shippers and forwarders:
Closely monitor the actual performance of the three revised routes after their maiden voyages in mid-to-late May, especially the on-time performance at the new ports of call on the Empire route and the transit efficiency impact of Qingdao’s first-call status on East China cargo. If you regularly export from Xiamen to the US East Coast, the new direct service on the Emerald route could bring notable time savings.
