TAIWANESE shipping giant Evergreen's Asia-Med UAM service has been delayed from April to May with western Mediterranean ports being replaced by Adriatic ports, reports London's Containerisation International.

Western Mediterranean ports will be served via a slot exchange on the CKYH's MD1, MD2 and MD3 services with Cosco, "K" Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin taking slots on the UAM service in return.

The new UAM service will deploy eight 5,364 to 5,652-TEU ships and will rotate through Busan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, Ashdod, Alexandria, Taranto, Koper, Rijeka, Trieste, Taranto, Colombo, Tanjung Pelepas, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo and back to Busan.

The old UAM calls at Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Shekou, Shenzhen-Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, Ashdod, Alexandria, Taranto, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, Taranto, Jeddah, Colombo, Tanjung Pelepas, Kaohsiung and back to Shanghai.