Evergreen Marine optimizes its Southeast Asia network with service adjustments and a new route connecting Qingdao, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Evergreen Marine has recently announced a new round of Southeast Asia network optimization, involving adjustments to the port call structure of its Qingdao-origin KTP Thailand-Vietnam service and the launch of the new NCX Singapore-Malaysia service connecting Qingdao, Singapore, and Westport in Port Klang, Malaysia. The adjustment focuses on port selection, berth resources, and service combinations, with the aim of improving transport stability and flexibility toward Southeast Asia. In recent years, intraregional trade and transshipment demand in Southeast Asia have continued to grow, and terminal congestion and schedule volatility have placed higher demands on service design. As a result, optimizing port calls and leveraging proprietary terminal resources has become an important direction in carrier network adjustments.
Looking at the specific adjustments, changes to the KTP service mainly focus on three areas: the port call in Ho Chi Minh City, berth arrangements in Laem Chabang, and Manila port calls.
For Ho Chi Minh City, the service will shift to SPITC in the city’s eastern port area. Evergreen said SPITC is about 4 kilometers from the previously called Cat Lai terminal and falls under the same customs jurisdiction, meaning customs clearance rules remain unchanged. The port can also handle dangerous goods, and freight forwarders may assess whether this port option is suitable based on cargo characteristics and consignee location.
For Laem Chabang, the service will call Evergreen’s own B2 terminal. Evergreen said this should help reduce berth waiting time and improve berthing stability, though actual schedules should still be based on the carrier’s latest published voyage arrangements.
For Manila, the adjustment removes the Manila North Harbor call. Evergreen said this change is intended to avoid delay risks associated with congestion at that port. For general cargo and reefer cargo, bookings should still be based on confirmation of the actual voyage, cutoff times, and transport requirements, rather than relying solely on the overall service description.
In addition to optimizing the KTP Thailand-Vietnam service, Evergreen has also introduced the new NCX Singapore-Malaysia service, providing a new transport option for Southeast Asia-bound cargo from Qingdao. According to information released by Evergreen, transit time from Qingdao to Singapore is about 9 days, while transit time from Qingdao to Westport is about 12 days. Evergreen said NCX will offer corresponding slot and schedule support and can be used in combination with existing NCS and CEM services to provide more options for different shipping plans. These transit times are based on information published by the carrier, and actual transport arrangements still need to be confirmed based on specific voyages, cutoff times, destination operations, and onward delivery plans.
Booking impact and operational recommendations for freight forwarders
These changes add route options for Southeast Asia-bound cargo departing from Qingdao, but the specific solution should still be confirmed shipment by shipment according to cargo type and destination. For freight forwarders, in addition to checking schedules and slot availability, it is advisable to reassess the most suitable service based on destination port, cargo type, and onward transport planning. This includes verifying actual port calls, confirming special handling requirements for dangerous goods and reefer cargo, checking schedules and cutoff times against actual voyages, comparing service combinations among KTP, NCX, and existing NCS and CEM services, and monitoring destination port operating efficiency and final delivery coordination. Avoiding booking decisions based solely on service names or general descriptions can help reduce operational risk arising from port call changes and schedule adjustments.