SHANGHAI : Chinese logistics and shipping major Sinotrans has strengthened its presence on the rapidly growing China–India trade lane with the launch of its new CIW2 service, further enhancing direct container connectivity between major ports in China, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India’s west coast.
The new service has been introduced through a slot-sharing arrangement on the CSX/CI8 service jointly operated by Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) and Evergreen Line, enabling Sinotrans to broaden its regional service portfolio without deploying its own vessels.
The CIW2 service will be operated using a fleet of six container vessels, each with an average carrying capacity of approximately 6,000 TEUs, ensuring regular and reliable weekly sailings for exporters and importers across Asia.
Under the new rotation, vessels will call at Qingdao, Xiamen, Nansha, Shenzhen (Dachan), Port Klang, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Port Klang, before returning to Qingdao, providing seamless connectivity across key manufacturing, transshipment and consumption hubs.
The inclusion of Nhava Sheva (JNPA) and Mundra, India’s two largest container gateways, is expected to improve cargo movement for a wide range of commodities, including engineering goods, electronics, machinery, textiles, chemicals, consumer products and industrial raw materials moving between China and India.
By connecting with strategic transshipment hubs such as Port Klang in Malaysia and Colombo in Sri Lanka, the service also offers customers greater flexibility, expanded feeder connectivity and improved access to regional and global shipping networks.
The launch comes at a time when container trade between China and India continues to remain one of Asia’s busiest trade corridors, supported by growing manufacturing activity, expanding bilateral trade and rising demand for efficient, time-bound logistics solutions. Shipping lines are increasingly enhancing service frequencies and network coverage to meet evolving customer requirements while improving schedule reliability and supply chain resilience.
With the introduction of the CIW2 service, Sinotrans aims to strengthen its competitive position in the China–India market by offering customers broader port coverage, enhanced sailing options and improved transit connectivity. The expanded network is expected to support exporters and importers with greater flexibility in cargo planning while facilitating smoother movement of containerised trade across Asia.
The latest service expansion also reflects the growing trend of strategic partnerships and slot-sharing agreements among global container shipping lines, enabling carriers to optimize vessel capacity, improve network efficiency and offer wider geographic coverage without significant fleet expansion.
As regional trade volumes continue to grow, the addition of the CIW2 service is expected to further reinforce maritime connectivity between China and India, supporting supply chain integration and facilitating faster, more efficient movement of containerised cargo across the region.
