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APL launches ground-breaking Suez service SZX offers a clear alternative to Panama Canal routingSingapore, 11 May 2007 – Global container transportation leader APL is to launch an industry-first all-water service connecting South East Asia and the Indian Subcontinent with the United States East Coast via the Suez Canal. From July, the weekly Suez Express (SZX) will deploy eight vessels of between 4,000 and 4,500 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). APL will provide five ships and its New World Alliance partners Hyundai Merchant Marine and Mitsui OSK Lines will provide the other three vessels. APL CEO, Ron Widdows, said: “Port and rail congestion in North America are very real issues for our customers, who increasingly are diversifying their supply chains throughout the Asia region as well as the gateways they are utilizing to flow cargo into the U.S. market. Our solution is the SZX, which offers an entirely new transportation solution that complements our other Suez and Transpacific services. We are certain customers will value the speed, scope and reliability of this new all-water offering from Asia to the US East Coast.” “This service supplements APL’s wide range of existing all-water services and will offer customers more choices as they consider how best to flow their cargo given the challenges and potential for impact on their supply chains in 2008,” added Mr Widdows. Market-beating transit times include: Singapore to New York in just 21 days and Singapore to Charleston and Savannah in 24 and 25 days, respectively. The SZX port rotation will be Singapore, Colombo, New York, Charleston, Savannah, Norfolk, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang, Singapore. In addition to US-bound cargoes that will originate from the service’s direct ports of call, the SZX will attract cargo via feeder services from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The service will also be competitive for markets such as Hong Kong, South China and even Western Australia. Bob Sappio, APL’s Senior Vice President for the Transpacific trade, said: “The SZX is in keeping with APL’s tradition of raising the bar in terms of transit times, market coverage and reliability. The SZX was developed in response to customers who demand solutions with multiple ports and gateways which maximise product delivery certainty.” While the SZX will offer shippers a complementary alternative to the Panama Canal, which is reaching full capacity, Panama remains an integral part of APL’s service offering. APL also recently announced the launch of the new all-water ESX service between Asia and the US East Coast via the Panama Canal. For more information about the SZX and APL’s global services, go to: http://www.apl.com/services/ Media Inquiries: Asia-Middle East |
