U.S. Ocean Shipping Route Basics

Publish Time: 2025-09-16 Origin: Site

I. Shipping Alliances

Logistics professionals should be familiar with the three major shipping alliances. To facilitate understanding of subsequent route knowledge, a brief overview is provided below.

Pre-January 2025 Shipping Alliance Landscape

2M Alliance: Composed of two international shipping companies—Denmark’s Maersk (Maersk Line) and Switzerland’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). As one of the world’s largest shipping alliances, it covers routes across the globe, including Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
OA Alliance: A maritime alliance formed by CMA-CGM (CMA CGM Group), Cosco (COSCO Shipping Lines), Evergreen (Evergreen Marine), and OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line). It dominates the transportation of cross-border e-commerce cargo for sea shipping from China to the U.S. West Coast, featuring precise routes, fast timeliness, and convenient container pick-up.
THE Alliance: A shipping alliance consisting of Hapag Lloyd (Hapag-Lloyd), ONE Line (Ocean Network Express), YANGMING (Yang Ming Marine Transport), and Hyundai (Hyundai Merchant Marine). It provides shipping services globally, covering major routes such as Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, and South America.

Post-January 2025 New Shipping Alliance Landscape

MSC operates independently, cooperates with the Premier Alliance, and has signed a new agreement with ZIM.
Gemini Cooperation: MSK and HPL will be established in February 2025.
Premier Alliance (PA): ONE, HMM, and YML will be established in February 2025.

II. U.S. West Coast Routes (Focus on E-commerce Routes)

1. Timeliness Leader - MASTON (Matson)

Matson Express enjoys a high reputation in the market for its fast and stable timeliness, high on-time rate, and quick container pick-up. Its only drawback is the relatively high price. It mainly operates the CLX route and MAX route (formerly CLX+ extra sailings).

As an effective alternative to China-U.S. air freight, the advantages of Matson Express (CLX/MAX) services include:

Short voyage: Official data shows the CLX route takes 10 days from Shanghai to Long Beach Port and 12 days from Ningbo to Long Beach Port; the MAX route takes 11 days from Shanghai to Long Beach Port and 12 days from Ningbo to Long Beach Port.
Timely port arrival: Matson uses the dedicated SSA-PIER C terminal at Long Beach Port. The day after the ship berths, containers are placed on chassis and ready for pick-up.
Container pick-up locations:

Long Beach Port: Pick-up locations are at the off-port yard STE1 (3.5 miles from the terminal) and off-port yard STE2 (4.5 miles from the terminal); no appointment is required for pick-up.
Oakland Port: Pick-up locations are at Terminal 63 or the off-port yard STE (0.5 miles from the terminal); no appointment is required for pick-up.

Fast pick-up time: Truck drivers spend the shortest time in the industry picking up containers at off-port yards (average less than 25 minutes).
Moderate ship size: Ships with a capacity of approximately 4,500 TEU are used, facilitating fast loading and unloading.
Fast intermodal services to U.S. inland points.
Network technology support for visual tracking of container cargo in transit.

2. OA Alliance (E-commerce Star Alliance)

The OA Alliance is favored by freight forwarders and e-commerce practitioners for its diverse routes, stable schedules, high on-time rate, and sufficient capacity.

(1) South China - SEA Route (E-commerce Express Route)

The U.S. West Coast South Route covers Yangpu Xiaochantan Port (Hainan), basic South China ports (Nansha and Yantian), Kaohsiung Port (Taiwan, China), Long Beach (one of the "twin ports" on the U.S. West Coast), and Cai Mep Port (Vietnam’s largest deep-water port). It deploys 7 150,000 DWT container ships, offering stable schedules, sufficient capacity, and a high on-time rate. Together with the already launched routes from the Yangpu area to the South Pacific, the Middle East, and the U.S. East Coast, it forms an intercontinental trunk network with significant advantages in schedule and capacity.

Route: Nansha - Hong Kong - Yantian - Kaohsiung - Long Beach
Schedule: 14-18 days
Port call & departure: Cut-off on Saturday, berths at Yantian on Tuesday, departs on Thursday.
Destination port & terminal: Calls at LBCT automated terminal in Long Beach.
Other services: "Steady Speed Delivery" and "Towing Worry-Free" co-routes: CMA-SCS, OOCL-PVCS.

(2) South China - SEA3 (South China Direct U.S. West Coast Route)

The port rotation of this route is: Kaohsiung - Xiamen - Yantian - Long Beach (U.S.). It deploys 6 ships for capacity. Combined with COSCO Shipping’s existing SEA route, it forms a "dual-route" pattern, connecting major South China ports with the U.S. West Coast.

Route: Kaohsiung - Xiamen - Yantian - Long Beach
Schedule: 14-18 days
Port call & departure: Berths at Yantian on Sunday, cut-off on Friday, departs on Monday.
Destination port & terminal: Calls at LBCT automated terminal in Long Beach.
Co-routes: ——

(3) U.S. Express - North China - CEN

The port rotation of this route is: Tianjin - Qingdao - Shanghai - Long Beach (U.S.). It deploys 6 ships with a capacity of 10,000 TEU. The direct voyage from Shanghai to Los Angeles takes only 13 days.

Route: Tianjin - Qingdao - Shanghai - Long Beach
Schedule: 14 days (official data), 14-18 days (actual).
Port call & departure: Berths at Yantian on Sunday, departs on Monday.
Destination port & terminal: Calls at LBCT automated terminal in Long Beach.

(4) East China AAC (Ningbo Direct U.S. West Coast Route)

Route: Xiamen - Ningbo - Long Beach
Schedule: 14-18 days
Port call & departure: Berths at Yantian on Sunday, departs on Monday.
Destination port & terminal: Calls at PCT automated terminal in Long Beach.

3. ZIM-ZEX Route (Fastest E-commerce Route from South China)

It takes only 12.5 days from South China to Los Angeles (U.S.).

Guarantees the use of shipping space and containers to ensure timely and reliable delivery.
Offers extended cut-off services based on the departure time from Yantian; cargo can be picked up at the Los Angeles WBCT terminal on Monday.
All imported containers are unloaded onto ZIM’s exclusive chassis for expedited pick-up.
Dedicated gate lanes for pick-up to avoid queuing.
Fast rail connections to Joliet (Chicago), Memphis, Dallas, and Kansas City.

4. Hede

Hede is a carrier with extremely high cost-effectiveness and obvious advantages in timeliness. It does not drop containers and has stable schedules. Its price is higher than that of the OA Alliance but lower than ZIM.

Shanghai Port - Los Angeles Port Direct Express Route (Maiden Voyage in March 2024)

Leading timeliness: The direct voyage from Shanghai Port to Los Angeles Port (U.S.) takes only 13 days.
Stable schedule: Cut-off on Thursday, departs on Monday, with one weekly sailing.
Efficient pick-up: Direct non-stop voyage without transshipment; berths at the dedicated berth (No. 126) of the Los Angeles WBCT terminal, equipped with 2 fast pick-up gates.

Nansha Port - Los Angeles Port Direct Express Route - South China U.S. West Coast Express Route (Maiden Voyage in July 2025)

Leading timeliness: The voyage from Guangzhou Nansha Port to Los Angeles Port (U.S.) takes only 14 days, 1 week shorter than traditional routes.
Stable schedule: Deploys 5 ships, operating weekly (Wednesdays).
Efficient pick-up: The ship arrives at the destination port (WBCT terminal) on Wednesday evening (Los Angeles time), and unloading and pick-up can start at the first shift at 8 a.m. the next day (Thursday), greatly improving cargo turnover efficiency and reducing customer waiting time.

5. CMA-EXX ("Mini Matson")

The EXX route features fast and stable timeliness, earning it the reputation of "Mini Matson", with a slightly lower price. It has a dedicated container yard and truck lanes at the Los Angeles Port, enabling fast unloading and departure of cargo.

Route: Ningbo - Shanghai - Los Angeles
Schedule: 12 days from Ningbo to Los Angeles, 11 days from Shanghai to Los Angeles.
Port of call terminal: TraPac Terminal.
Ship capacity: Equipped with ships with a capacity of 3,500-5,000 TEU.

III. Central U.S. Routes

1. Chicago Route

Located at the southwest end of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois, it is one of the largest inland ports in the U.S.

2. Houston - GME Route (Preferred Houston Route)

Route: Shanghai - Ningbo - Xiamen - Yantian - Mobile - Houston
Schedule: 26 days from Yantian to Houston (official data).
Departure: Departs on Sunday.
Features:
(1) Operated with independent ships under two brands.
(2) Mature direct U.S. Gulf Coast service, covering major domestic ports and favored by benchmark customers.
(3) Provides characteristic services from Houston and Mobile to various inland points.
(4) Covers the emerging Florida market via Tampa, with great cargo volume potential.

IV. U.S. East Coast Routes

New York - AWE4 Route

Route: Cai Mep - Hong Kong - Yantian - Xiamen - Shanghai - Colon - New York
Operated ships: 10 ships jointly deployed by COSCO Shipping and OOCL, with an average capacity of 13,300 TEU.
Schedule: 26 days from Shanghai to New York, 30 days from Yantian to New York (official data); actual schedule is longer.
Destination port terminal: Maher Terminal, Berth 64.

2. Savannah - AWE3 Route (Dedicated Fast Direct Service to Savannah for South China)

Route: Xiamen - Kaohsiung - Hong Kong - Yantian - Savannah
Schedule: 29 days from Yantian to Savannah (official data).
Departure: Departs on Friday.
Destination port: Savannah.

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