ZIM and ONE End Shared Gulf–South America Service: What Shippers Need to Know

ZIM is suspending its ZIM Gulf Toucan (ZGT) service between the US Gulf and the East Coast of South America (ECSA). The last southbound voyage is scheduled to leave Houston on October 24, and the last northbound voyage leaves Rio de Janeiro on November 4. ZIM’s September 24 customer advisory attributes the decision to global market conditions.

The suspension also affects Ocean Network Express (ONE), which sells space on the same vessels under its Atlantic North-South Gulf Express 2 (ANSG2) service. Both carriers have confirmed the same final sailings, but their published alternatives differ. ONE identifies its continuing ANSG service for US Gulf–ECSA cargo. ZIM names replacement feeder arrangements for Houston cargo connecting to the Mediterranean, West Coast South America and the Caribbean, but gives no specific replacement for its US Gulf–ECSA trade. Shippers need to check which arrangement applies to their bookings before relying on a new delivery date.

ZGT Final Sailings at a Glance

	Last southbound	Last northbound
Vessel / voyage	Loncomilla 036/S	Navios Amarillo V 067/N
Departs	Houston, October 24, 2026	Rio de Janeiro, November 4, 2026
Last date given by ZIM	Final ECSA call, November 19, 2026	Reaches the Caribbean, November 19, 2026

Sources: ZIM and ONE customer advisories, September 24, 2026. Both carriers identify the same final vessels and voyages.

As reported by DynaLiners via Container News, ZGT called Houston, Miami, Kingston and Cartagena southbound before working the Brazilian, Uruguayan and Argentine coast, then returned north via Cartagena, Kingston, Veracruz and Altamira. ONE’s final-voyage advisory identifies the last northbound rotation only as far as Cartagena, while ZIM gives a Caribbean arrival date of November 19. Neither notice confirms a final schedule through Veracruz, Altamira and Houston. Cargo booked to those ports needs confirmation of whether the original rotation will be completed or an onward connection will be required.

Where Each ZGT Flow Goes Next

Cargo flow	Published arrangement
Houston to/from the Mediterranean	ZIM-operated feeder via Kingston and Cartagena
Houston to/from West Coast South America	ZIM-operated feeder via Kingston and Cartagena
Houston to/from the Caribbean	ZIM-operated feeder via Kingston and Cartagena
Miami inbound	ZIM Colibri Express (ZCX)
Miami to the Caribbean	ZIM South Lotus (ZSL)
US Gulf to/from ECSA, booked with ZIM	No specific replacement named in ZIM’s advisory; confirm routing directly
US Gulf to/from ECSA, booked with ONE	ONE identifies its continuing Atlantic North-South Gulf Express (ANSG) service
Veracruz and Altamira to/from ECSA	Not addressed by ZIM as replacement flows; both ports appear on ONE’s ANSG rotation

Sources: ZIM and ONE customer advisories, September 24, 2026. Published alternatives do not guarantee space, automatic booking transfers or equivalent transit times for individual origin-destination pairs.

Kingston and Cartagena already served as connection hubs on ZGT. When ZIM introduced the service, it said cargo moving to Central America, the Caribbean and West Coast South America would connect through regional hubs. The dedicated feeder now takes over the Houston leg for those flows. That changes the vessel and voyage assignments shippers need to monitor, although it does not necessarily increase the number of transshipments for cargo that already connected at a hub.

For ZIM’s US Gulf–ECSA cargo, the advisory still leaves a routing question. It does not specify whether affected bookings will move through another service, a different gateway or an onward connection. Ask ZIM or your forwarder to confirm the replacement routing, available sailing and transit time in writing, particularly for cargo that cannot make Loncomilla 036/S.

ONE’s ANSG2 Is Ending Too, but ANSG Continues

ONE’s involvement is confirmed by more than the matching final sailings. In January, Brazilian terminal operator Portonave identified ZIM as the lead carrier on ZGT and ONE as a slot-selling partner under a vessel-sharing arrangement. ONE’s own September 24 suspension notice identifies Loncomilla 036/S and Navios Amarillo 067/N as the final voyages of its ANSG2 service.

ONE directs customers to its existing Atlantic North-South Gulf Express (ANSG) service, publishing the following rotation: Veracruz – Altamira – Houston – New Orleans – Cartagena – Suape – Santos – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Rio Grande – Itajaí – Paranaguá – Santos – Cartagena – Veracruz.

That preserves a published service option between major Gulf ports and ECSA, but the port coverage is not identical. Miami, Kingston, Rio de Janeiro, Navegantes and Itapoá do not appear on ONE’s listed ANSG rotation. Shippers using those ports may need a different connection or gateway. ONE has not promised that every ANSG2 booking will move automatically onto ANSG or retain its original transit time. Confirm the proposed routing, space and vessel assignment with ONE before updating customer commitments.

Why the Replacement Leg Is Where Visibility Drops

The immediate tracking risk is a booking that retains its original expected arrival date after the vessel assignment or connecting service has changed. For ZIM cargo moving through Kingston or Cartagena, teams need to verify both the feeder leg and the onward connection. Even when the number of transshipments stays the same, a changed vessel or sailing can leave shipment records out of step with the new plan.

In a Tradlinx study of 508,055 ocean shipments, carriers left the ETA blank for 8.43% of shipments. The ETA for the intermediate transshipment port was the missing field in 30,929 of the 42,832 gaps, and transshipment cargo accounted for 87% of all blank ETAs. The study predates the ZGT suspension and does not measure disruption on this service, but it illustrates how frequently ETA information can be incomplete around transshipment movements.

For affected ZGT bookings, a blank or stale ETA at Kingston or Cartagena is one reason to investigate. A revised vessel assignment, missed loading event or changed onward departure may provide an earlier indication that the original connection is no longer valid. The absence of an ETA alone does not establish that a container has missed its connection. Without a confirmed onward sailing, however, the consignee may be planning trucking and delivery against a date that no longer matches the carrier’s latest routing.

If your team is re-mapping ZGT bookings onto feeder connections container by container, walk through how to monitor missing ETAs, changed vessel assignments and connection risks across affected shipments.

What to Check Before October 24

List open ZGT and ANSG2 bookings. Include cargo with connections at Kingston or Cartagena, US Gulf–ECSA shipments booked with ZIM or ONE, and any cargo moving through ports omitted from the continuing ANSG rotation.
Get ZIM’s ECSA routings in writing. For cargo that will not make Loncomilla 036/S, confirm the replacement service, sailing, connection ports and transit time before quoting new dates to customers.
Check ONE’s ANSG alternative. Confirm that the specific origin and destination are covered, that space is available and that the carrier has assigned an onward booking. Do not assume ANSG2 cargo transfers automatically.
Confirm the last northbound legs. For Navios Amarillo V 067/N cargo bound for Veracruz, Altamira or Houston, obtain the schedule beyond the Caribbean calls and confirm whether an additional connection is needed.
Log the replacement vessel and voyage. For each affected Container No., record the confirmed feeder or alternative service, transshipment port, onward vessel and revised schedule.
Watch the hub ETA and loading events. Treat a blank or stale ETA, a changed onward departure or a missed loading event at Kingston or Cartagena as a cue to query the carrier.
Reset downstream dates. Update consignee notices, warehouse receiving slots and trucking plans once the replacement routing is confirmed. Recheck applicable free-time and terminal arrangements if the destination or delivery schedule changes.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

New Report: The Future of SCM, and Why Visibility Alone Is No Longer Enough

[TRADLINX Report] 2026 Shipping Market Outlook: Falling Rates, Rising Risks