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Singapore,
Oakland CA, London, 20 Sep 2004 – Global container carrier, APL, is set to further enhance its coverage from North Asia to the Middle East with the introduction of a new direct service next month to meet the growing demand from customers for greater access to these important regions.
From October 17, 2004, the China Middle East Express (CMX) service will provide weekly services between Chiwan and Hong Kong to the Middle East as well as to Karachi, Pakistan.
The CMX offers one of the industry’s fastest direct connections between South China and the Middle East, and will be the first to call directly from Asia to Sharjah, a key hub for re-exports into the region.
In conjunction with the launch of the CMX, APL is reorganising its existing Middle East services to provide shippers with access to more markets in North Asia and the Middle East.
APL’s Vice President for the Intra-Asia Trade, Eng Aik Meng, said, “The revamp of our Middle East services, together with the launch of the CMX, answers the needs of our customers looking to capitalise on this fast-growing trade, offering them a seamless connection between the Far East and the Middle East.”
The West Asia Express (WAX) will call for the first time at the Korean port of Kwangyang and the South China port of Xiamen, while the Red Sea Express (REX) will include Shanghai.
Together, the three services will cover all the major Chinese and Korean ports, providing a more direct routing for cargo flows into the Middle East. Both Kwangyang and Xiamen are fast-growing markets for Chinese exports to the Middle East, with Kwangyang a major exporter of electronics and petrochemicals and Xiamen a key hub for garment and footwear exports going to the Gulf.
The services also offer a gateway to the region through APL’s extensive dedicated Middle East feeder network via Jebel Ali and Salalah, which offers customers considerable advantages including priority berthing, ensuring faster and more efficient cargo handling.
The CMX will deploy four vessels each with a nominal capacity of 2,478 TEU on a port rotation of Chiwan, Hong Kong, Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Karachi, Colombo, Singapore, Chiwan.
For more information on APL’s services visit www.apl.com
About APL
APL is a global top-10 container transportation company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining world-class intermodal operations with leading-edge IT and e-commerce. APL is a unit of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), a global logistics and transportation company. APL Web site: www.apl.com
Media Enquiries:
Americas:
Scott Dailey, tel: +1 650-369-4451 or scott_dailey@apl.com
Asia/Middle East:
Yin-Fern Lim, tel: +65-6371-5483 or yflim@apl.com
Europe:
Michael Haig, tel: +44-1737-248-300 or michael@isiscomms.com
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