Cosco Shipping Lines has introduced a new North Africa Express service linking Chinese ports directly with Libya, reported London's Container Management.

The service operates every three weeks with three vessels of about 4,300 TEU each. The 80,000 deadweight tonne box-shaped general cargo and bulk carriers are owned by Cosco Shipping Development and operated by Cosco Shipping Bulk, drawing on assets from across the wider Cosco group rather than the liner division's own fleet.

The rotation calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Port Said, Benghazi, and Misurata before returning to Qingdao. Libya has had limited direct container services from the Far East, with most cargo historically routed via Port Said transshipment. Direct calls at Benghazi and Misurata mark a significant change in access for Libyan importers.