Hapag-Lloyd announced that it will launch the new regular service Turkey East Coast Express (TEX) in mid-May 2022 to support the growing demand for connections between Turkey and the US East Coast.

The weekly liner service will connect westbound the three Turkish ports of Izmit, Aliaga, and Mersin with the US East Coast ports of New York, Norfolk, and Savannah.

The shipping line noted that a stopover in the port of Tangier, the western Mediterranean hub of global cargo traffic, will additionally provide its customers with optimal connections to the worldwide network. Eastbound excellent connections from the US East Coast to Turkey and our hub in Tangier are offered.

"With the new service, we are responding to increased customer demand for container shipments between Turkey and the U.S. East Coast. By calling at only a few strategic ports, we speed up the transport and can offer correspondingly short transit times," said Lando Schlese, director of Trade Management Atlantic at Hapag-Lloyd.

"The service, which is fully operated by Hapag-Lloyd, enables our customers to plan more reliably despite the current challenges in the market," Schlese added.

Hapag-Lloyd noted that the new Turkey East Coast Express (TEX) offers "very attractive transit times" both, westbound and eastbound between Turkey and the US East Coast will be operated weekly with 6 vessels.

It will follow the Mersin - Izmit - Aliaga - Tangier - New York - Norfolk - Savannah - Tangier - Mersin routing.