In a move aimed at bolstering maritime trade between South Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, Emirates Shipping Line and Wan Hai Lines have announced the launch of a new joint shipping service — the India–East Mediterranean 2 (IM2). The service is scheduled to commence operations on June 1, 2025, and represents a strategic step toward expanding port connectivity and improving regional transit efficiency.

🚢 IM2: A Strategic Trade Connector

The IM2 service will bridge key ports across India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey, opening new channels of trade and fostering economic integration across the India–East Med corridor.

⚙️ Operational Highlights

The IM2 service will be operated with two vessels, each having a nominal capacity of 2,700–2,800 TEUs. It will follow a fixed 28-day round-trip rotation, ensuring consistency in scheduling — a key advantage for exporters, importers, and freight forwarders alike.

📍 Port Rotation

The vessels will cover the following ports in their round-trip journey:

• Mundra (India)
• Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
• Suez (Egypt)
• Alexandria (Egypt)
• Mersin (Turkey)
• Suez (Egypt)
• Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
• Mundra (India)

This route offers excellent access to both Red Sea and Mediterranean gateways, improving options for cargo movement in both westbound and eastbound directions.

📊 Key Service Data

Feature	Details
Service Name	India–East Mediterranean 2 (IM2)
Launch Date	June 1, 2025
Operators	Emirates Shipping Line & Wan Hai Lines
Number of Vessels	2
Vessel Capacity	2,700–2,800 TEUs
Service Frequency	Fixed 28-day round-trip
Primary Objective	Enhance connectivity between South Asia and Eastern Mediterranean
Key Ports in Rotation	Mundra, Jeddah, Suez, Alexandria, Mersin
Main Benefits	Better port coverage, reliable transit, improved regional trade

🌍 Boosting Regional Trade Efficiency

This partnership is expected to improve scheduling predictability, reduce transit times, and offer more choices to shippers. By focusing on strategic ports like Alexandria and Mersin, the IM2 service also provides competitive alternatives for regional distribution across Europe, North Africa, and West Asia.

🛳 Looking Ahead

As trade demand between South Asia and the Mediterranean continues to grow, services like IM2 are poised to become critical logistics arteries. The collaboration between Emirates Shipping Line and Wan Hai Lines reinforces the trend of targeted regional partnerships that address specific trade lanes with scalable capacity and reliable scheduling.