Maersk Takes 19 Ships Off Asia-Europe Route as Demand Falls

A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the world’s largest container line, said it will remove 19 ships from Asia-Europe trade lanes in a bid to bolster rates as demand slumps.

Maersk will permanently scrap the AE5 service, which employs eight vessels, and halt the AE9 sailing, which has 11, until early December, the Copenhagen-based company said today. The action will bring its total capacity reduction on the route to 21 percent this year after a 9 percent cut in February.