MSC has added capacity to its China-Spain (Valencia) Jade service that was launched in July with ships originally ranging in size from 2,500 - 4,900 TEU.

The shipping line is now said to be deploying larger vessels, from 6,700 to 8,500. It is also extending the port coverage to include calls at Shanghai, Ningbo and Xiamen, in addition to Hong Kong, Yantian and Chiwan, reports AXS-Alphaliner News.

Valencia is the only western port of call on the service, and this port acts as a hub for transporting Asian cargo to North and West Africa.

MSC is believed to have deployed two 8,468-TEU ships sublet from CSCL, as well as two 8,000-TEU vessels and three 6,700-TEU ships taken from MSC's FE-US New Orient Express service, which now uses 3,000 - 5,000 TEU ships on the Jade service.

This service, combined with the strengthening of the Phoenix service, will bring MSC capacity on the Far East-Mediterranean route to 46,000 TEU a week by November, totalling an annual 2.4 million TEU annual capacity.