APL to launch new China-Philippines loop

The Singapore-based ocean carrier, now a subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, will commence an intra-Asia service between China, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines with the first sailing departing from Xingang on April 9, the company said in a statement.    Singapore-based ocean carrier APL, now a subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, will commence a new intra-Asia service between China, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines next month, the company said in a statement.
   The first sailing of the China Southeast Asia Service 5 (CS5) will depart from Xingang on April 9.
   APL did not disclose the number or size of the vessels to be deployed on the CS5, but the full port rotation will be Xingang, Qingdao, Busan (calling both the Pusan New-Port International Terminal and Hutchison Busan Container Terminal), Shanghai, Kaohsiung, North and South Manila, and back to Xingang.
   The loop will offer “competitive transit times from Manila to North China,” and “further enhance shippers’ speed to market and accessibility between China and the Philippines,” the carrier said. “Additionally, the CS5 service will also enable Asian shippers to access worldwide connectivity via APL’s global network at the transshipment hub of Kaohsiung.”
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, APL currently participates, either as a vessel operator or a slot purchaser, on 30 services that connect central Asia with Southeast Asia and North America.
   Of those 30 services, however, only eight are dedicated intra-Asia loops and just one of these – APL’s three-ship 2,564-TEU average Japan Taiwan 6 (JT6) service – calls at Manila.