New direct Asia service boosts Swedish industry

Starting from September 2025, APM Terminals offers its customers two weekly direct services to Asia with two of the world’s largest shipping lines.

"For Swedish industry, having two strong options for Asia traffic provides significant advantages. Two calls per week mean shorter lead times, greater flexibility, and the ability to spread risks," says Per Wahlström, Market Analyst at APM Terminals Gothenburg.

Strategic port with capacity for the world’s largest vessels

APM Terminals Gothenburg is the only Swedish port capable of handling ocean-going vessels of this size, making Gothenburg a strategically important hub for shipping lines.

"In tougher economic times, it is even more important for shipping lines to fill their vessels with paying cargo both in and out of ports. Ports with a good balance between import and export are therefore particularly attractive to call," explains Per Wahlström.

Asia-Europe route AE5 now in operation

Since week 36, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have extended their Asia-Europe route AE5 to include Gothenburg indefinitely. This means the nearly 400-meter-long vessels now call at APM Terminals every Thursday for onward travel to Rotterdam and the final destination Qingdao, China.

Route loop:

Qingdao – Yantian – Tanjung Pelepas – London – Hamburg – Bremerhaven – Aarhus – Gothenburg – Rotterdam – Tanjung Pelepas – Qingdao