At the beginning of 2003, COSCO, Yang Ming, “K” Line, Hanjin Shipping and Senator Lines reached an agreement to modify their services at Yantian. They jointly launched AWE3 Asia/All Water US East Coast services at YICT on 10 January 2003, and renamed the original AWP and AUE US services as AWE1 and AWE2 All Water US East Coast services.
On 10 January 2003, Yang Ming‘s “Trade Tesia” made an inaugural call at YICT to kick off AWE3 Asia/All Water US East Coast service. The service calls at YICT every Friday, on a schedule that includes Yantian, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Busan, Savannah, New York, Wilmington, Kaohsiung and Yantian.
In addition, the renamed AWE1 and AWE2’s inaugural vessels visited YICT on 9 January and 13 January 2003 respectively. AWE1 calls at YICT every Saturday, and follows a rotation of Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Busan, Panama Canal, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Panama Canal, Tokyo, Busan and Shanghai. AWE2 calls at YICT every Wednesday, under the following port rotation: Qingdao, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Panama Canal, Charleston, Norfolk, New York, Boston, Panama Canal and Qingdao.
The services provide a greater variety of choices for shippers sending goods to the Americas.