SITC has recently undertaken a significant restructuring of its China-Japan shipping routes, a strategic move designed to ensure comprehensive service coverage across vital Japanese ports. This initiative, spanning the last two months, involved the consolidation of existing service loops and the introduction of revamped ones.

According to Alphaliner, the carrier has integrated its LKT and LTT services with a substantial portion of the former SKT2 and SKT6 routes. This amalgamation has given rise to a new service designated as LFT+SKT2. Crucially, certain ports that were part of the original SKT2/SKT6 network but were not included in the merged loop, such as Shanghai, Hitachinaka, and Sendai, have been reallocated to a newly established SKT6 service.

The updated service network comprises the following loops:

* **LKT+LTT (Merged):** This consolidated service utilizes three 1,000 TEU vessels and operates on the route: Lianyungang – Rizhao – Qingdao – Tokyo – Kawasaki – Yokohama – Nagoya – Lianyungang.
* **SKT2/SKT6 (Merged/Closed):** This service, also using three 1,000 TEU vessels, follows the route: Shanghai – Taicang – Moji – Nagoya – Tokyo – Kawasaki – Yokohama – Shanghai – Nagoya – Tokyo – Hitachinaka – Sendai – Shanghai.
* **LKT+SKT2 (New Combination):** This newly formed service deploys three 1,000 TEU vessels and covers the ports of Rizhao – Lianyungang – Qingdao – Tokyo – Kawasaki – Yokohama – Nagoya – Taicang – Moji – Nagoya – Tokyo – Yokohama – Rizhao.
* **SKT6 (New):** This newly created service employs two 1,000 TEU vessels and serves the route: Shanghai – Nagoya – Hitachinaka – Sendai – Shanghai.

SITC reshapes China–Japan service network