Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM launch new weekly Asia-Brazil container service
Hapag-Lloyd has announced a new weekly maritime service between Asia and the east coast of South America, expanding its coverage between China and Brazil.
The new Asia-Brazil container service, named AS3, will be operated in partnership with ZIM and is scheduled to begin in September 2026.
The route will connect five Asian ports with five Brazilian ports, strengthening Hapag-Lloyd’s coverage in Central and South China. In Brazil, the service will call at Rio Grande, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Santos and Rio de Janeiro.
The rotation will be:
Shanghai → Ningbo → Xiamen → Hong Kong → Yantian → Rio Grande → Paranaguá → Itajaí → Santos → Rio de Janeiro.
According to Hapag-Lloyd, AS3 will also offer connections to ports in the River Plate region through Rio Grande, broadening options for Argentina and Uruguay import and export operations.
The first sailing from Shanghai is scheduled for September 14, 2026. In the opposite direction, the first departure from Rio Grande is scheduled for October 21, 2026.
Hapag-Lloyd said its current AS2 and ASE services, which also connect Asia to the east coast of South America, will continue operating without changes.
The launch of the Asia-Brazil container service adds capacity and routing options on one of South America’s key long-haul liner trades, linking major Chinese export hubs with Brazil’s main container gateways.
Source: Hapag-Lloyd