Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Ocean Network Express (ONE) will enter into a renewed vessel-sharing agreement (VSA) for their weekly Asia–East Coast of South America service, effective April 2027. Under the revised arrangement, MSC and ONE will operate the service jointly, following the conclusion of the current three-carrier VSA—which included Hapag-Lloyd—in its existing configuration.

MSC brands the service as “Ipanema”, while ONE refers to it as the “East Coast South America Express 1” (SX1). The inaugural sailing under the new VSA is scheduled to depart Shanghai on 3 April 2027.

To ensure service continuity and enhanced capacity following Hapag-Lloyd’s withdrawal, MSC intends to deploy additional vessels; however, the number, size, and technical specifications of these vessels remain confidential at this stage.

The service will maintain fixed-day, weekly sailings between major Asian ports—including Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Hong Kong, and Singapore—and key East Coast ports in South America. Direct port calls will include Santos, Paranaguá, Navegantes, and Rio Grande (Brazil); Montevideo (Uruguay); and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

The proposed rotation is as follows:  

Shanghai → Ningbo → Shekou → Hong Kong → Singapore → Santos → Paranaguá → Navegantes → Montevideo → Buenos Aires → Rio Grande → Paranaguá → Navegantes → Santos → Singapore → Hong Kong → Shanghai  

ONE has indicated that this rotation remains provisional and subject to final operational validation.

The restructuring reflects a strategic commitment to strengthening schedule reliability, optimizing network efficiency, and sustaining seamless connectivity between core Asian export hubs and high-demand South American import markets.

Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RB64CbbfDGfc4Do_r96f7Q