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Miami, 6 June, 2003 – Global container-transportation provider APL has
extended southward to El Salvador its Pacific Coast container transportation feeder
service that links California, Mexico and the northern zone of Central America.
With weekly calls at Acajutla in El Salvador added from June 10, the move reflects
El Salvador's growing participation in the international garment and refrigerated
commodities markets, said Manny Fernandez, head of APL's Latin America market,
based in Miami.
The original service, known as the Mexico-Central
America Express (MCX), was launched in December. It connects at Los Angeles
with several of APL's trans-Pacific services.
"Expanding this service southward means that both U.S. and Asian customers, as
well as the garment and food producers in El Salvador and in the neighboring markets
of Honduras and Nicaragua, can now benefit from a more competitive service," said
Fernandez. "It will be faster, more secure and more reliable."
Border Crossings Reduced
Until now, APL provided service to the El Salvador market by combining its ocean
service to Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, with overland (trucking) service to El Salvador.
That the ships now steam all the way to Acajutla will yield a number of benefits
for customers.
"Perishable food products and high-value garments are both time-sensitive shipments,"
said Victor Gonzalez, director of sales for Latin America. "By eliminating the
need for border clearances between Guatemala and El Salvador, and sailing directly
to El Salvador, we are reducing potential customs-related delays, and also providing
better cargo security by reducing the overland transits."
Honduras and Nicaragua will also benefit from faster, more reliable service because
a direct call at El Salvador reduces the number of border crossings and the length
of the overland segments required to serve those two markets.
Transit Times Reduced
Transit times to Los Angeles from Acajutla, which is located near the capital
city of San Salvador, will be six days, a two-day reduction as a result of the
new all-water call. Transit times to Los Angeles from Honduras and Nicaragua will
similarly be shortened by two days.
The extended service, which uses two modern containerships operated by APL, rotates
weekly from the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican port of Manzanillo to Acajutla,
El Salvador, and then northbound to Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. On a fortnightly
basis, it also makes a northbound call at Mexico's port of Salina Cruz.
About APL
APL provides customers around the world with container transportation services
through a network combining high-quality intermodal operations with state-of-the-art
information technology. Its sister company, APL
Logistics, provides intercontinental, end-to-end supply-chain management services.
Both are units of Singapore-based Neptune
Orient Lines (NOL), a global logistics and transportation company engaged
in shipping and related businesses. APL Web site: www.apl.com
Media
Inquiries
Miami:
Manny Fernandez, tel: +1-305-468-3050 or manny_fernandez@apl.com
Americas:
Scott Dailey, tel: +1-650-369-4451 or scott_dailey@apl.com
Asia/Middle East:
Paul Barrett, tel: +65-6371-5541 or paul_barrett@apl.com
Europe:
Michael Haig, tel: +44-1737-248-300 or michael@isiscomms.com
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