Five months after announcing it was intalks over further cooperation, the shipowner said it would team up on servicesfrom Asia to the north-west of the US and Canada.

It will run three weekly loops, up from twopreviously.

"Customers will benefit fromfirst-rate services connecting South & North China and Korea and PacificNorth West," it said.

Zim already works with the alliancebetween Asia and the US east coast.

The