ZIM Launches ZX3 Express Service Between China and Los Angeles

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services announced the launch of ZX3, a new premium express service that will directly connect Shanghai and Xiamen with Los Angeles, expanding its range of fast transpacific routes. The service, operated exclusively by the carrier, will begin operations in December 2026 with a rotation that includes calls at Xiamen, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Xiamen again.

ZX3 will offer a direct transit time of 12 days between Shanghai and Los Angeles, and 15 days between Xiamen and Los Angeles. Added to the existing ZEX and ZX2 services, the new route will bring the combined number of weekly departures from China and Vietnam to the U.S. West Coast to seven.

According to Ports News Russia, the first sailing is scheduled for December 6 from Xiamen, and the service will deploy five vessels of approximately 4,250 TEU on a 35-day round voyage, with the vessel Melina as the first ship deployed and Felixstowe also included in the rotation. In Los Angeles, ZX3 will have a dedicated berth at the West Basin Container Terminal (WBCT), along with a dedicated yard and pickup lanes exclusive to ZIM, while in Shanghai and Xiamen the vessels will have guaranteed berthing on arrival.

Arrivals in Los Angeles are scheduled for Mondays, with express containers unloaded directly onto dedicated chassis for immediate availability, without the need for appointments or waiting in line. ZIM will also offer expedited rail connections from Los Angeles to destinations such as New York, Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, and Kansas City.

Hani Kalinski, Executive Vice President of ZIM's Pacific Business Unit, stated that the launch of ZX3 represents an important step in the company's commitment to offering premium, customer-centered solutions, and that the addition of Xiamen and an additional direct call in Shanghai gives customers greater market coverage and flexibility. He added that the new service strengthens ZIM's portfolio of differentiated services and its ability to offer a comprehensive experience that supports its customers' growth.

Ports News Russia noted that the ZX3 designation had previously been used by ZIM: a 2022 company schedule included a Shanghai-Los Angeles service under the same code, while the carrier's current network uses the name ZIM South East China Xpress. The outlet also noted that ZIM, founded in Israel in 1945 and headquartered in Haifa, operated 115 container ships with a combined capacity of approximately 707,000 TEU and 13 car carriers as of its second-quarter update in August 2026, with a network covering more than 90 countries and more than 300 ports.