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New Asia-Europe Service Launched
Singapore, Oakland CA, London, 24 May 2004 - The New World Alliance (TNWA), which consists of APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and MOL, is together with carriers CMA-CGM and Norasia introducing a new weekly Asia-Europe service in response to growing customer demand. From mid-July 2004, the South China Express (SCX) will provide much-improved access to key sourcing and manufacturing destinations in South China and South East Asia. The SCX will deploy seven vessels ranging in nominal capacity from 4,600 TEU to 5,500 TEU. On behalf of TNWA, APL will provide four ships and CMA-CGM and Norasia will contribute two and one, respectively. The SCX will enable fast, reliable connectivity with Europe's major markets, where demand for Asia-made products is at an all-time high. Ken Glenn, APL's Vice President for the Asia-Europe Trade, said, "Our ships have been full on this trade for some time and customers have been telling us they need more connections - particularly between South China and Europe. "Launching the SCX alongside carriers who are already in the trade is a logical step. It allows us to meet our customers' demands without each carrier having to launch services individually. This approach also enables APL to maximize the use of our assets and our network." The South China focus of the SCX complements other TNWA services such as the Asia Europe Express (AEX), Japan Europe Express (JEX) and China Europe Express (CEX), which provide customers with competitive connections between destinations in North Asia - including China - and Europe. In addition, the service connects the Indian Sub-continent with Europe via the Middle East port of Salalah. The SCX port rotation will be Hong Kong, Chiwan, Singapore, Salalah, Zeebrugge, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong. For more information on the SCX and all other APL services, visit www.apl.com About APL Media Enquiries: |
