MSC and ONE to Continue Ipanema Service Under New VSA from April 2027

Source: MSC

MSC and Ocean Network Express (ONE) have confirmed that they will continue jointly operating the Ipanema service under a new vessel sharing agreement (VSA), replacing the current agreement among MSC, ONE and Hapag-Lloyd after it expires.

New VSA Expected to Take Effect in April 2027

According to an MSC announcement dated October 8, 2026, MSC and ONE will adjust the service structure following Hapag-Lloyd’s withdrawal. Nevertheless, both carriers have committed to maintaining weekly departures and existing connections between Asia and the East Coast of South America (ECSA).

The first sailing under the new VSA is scheduled to depart Shanghai on April 3, 2027. To offset the capacity reduction resulting from Hapag-Lloyd’s exit, MSC plans to deploy additional vessels on the service. However, the carrier has yet to disclose the number or capacity of the additional vessels.

In terms of port coverage, the service will continue to offer direct calls at Santos, Paranaguá and Navegantes in Brazil, as well as Montevideo in Uruguay and Buenos Aires in Argentina. The port rotation will also include Rio Grande in Brazil.

Source: MSC

Ipanema Service Port Rotation

According to the schedule published by MSC, the Ipanema service will follow this port rotation:

Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Hong Kong – Singapore – Santos – Paranaguá – Navegantes – Montevideo – Buenos Aires – Rio Grande – Paranaguá – Navegantes – Santos – Singapore – Hong Kong – Shanghai.

ONE has also published the corresponding port rotation for its East Coast South America Express 1 (SX1) service, noting that the schedule remains subject to adjustment as operational arrangements are reviewed.

By maintaining weekly departures, MSC and ONE will continue to provide connections between key Asian origin ports and markets along the East Coast of South America. Once the new VSA takes effect, fleet size and the actual operating schedule will be key factors to watch in assessing how well the service maintains capacity and schedule reliability.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Container News)

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