Maersk expands China–India capacity with new trade route

Six-vessel rotation enters Far East–India corridor linking ports from Shanghai to Pipavav.

Maersk has launched a new weekly ocean service, FI2, linking Far East Asia with the Indian Subcontinent to expand capacity on the China–India trade route.

The service is designed to meet growing demand from automotive, chemical, technology, and retail cargo flows, with the first westbound sailing departing Shanghai on 4 June 2026.

FI2 operates with six vessels of around 4,500 twenty-foot equivalent units nominal capacity on a fixed rotation covering Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Nhava Sheva, Pipavav, and Port Qasim.

A key feature of the service is its call at Pipavav in Gujarat, which connects into India’s Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) rail network, enabling cargo to be moved inland toward major consumption and industrial hubs, including Delhi, Gurugram, and Noida.

Maersk said the combination of ocean and rail connectivity is intended to provide an integrated door-to-door logistics solution for North West India.

“By combining the weekly ocean service with our rail solution via the DFC, we are going a step further and giving our customers the true integrated logistics experience,” said Thomas Theeuwes, Managing Director of Maersk South Asia.

FI2 operates alongside the FI3 service, giving Maersk two direct Far East–India routes and increasing schedule frequency and routing flexibility for shippers.