GRAND ALLIANCE ADDS DIRECT XIAMEN CALLS TO PACIFIC COVERAGE

GRAND ALLIANCE ADDS DIRECT XIAMEN CALLS TO PACIFIC COVERAGE    The Grand Alliance of Orient Overseas Container Line, NYK, Hapag-Lloyd and P&O Nedlloyd is adding direct calls at Xiamen, south China, to one of its transpacific services.
   Starting from April 2, the China Korea Express “CKX” service of the alliance will include weekly calls at Xiamen, providing a direct eastbound ands westbound service to and from Los Angeles and Seattle.
   The revised rotation of the “CKX” service is Xiamen, Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, Los Angeles, Seattle, Busan and Xiamen. The service will no longer call at Hong Kong.
   A spokesman for OOCL said that exports from Xiamen to North America increased by 35 percent last year and are projected to continue to grow strongly.
   The transit times of the revised service of the Grand Alliance and of all other transpacific carriers are posted on www.compairschedules.com, the free global schedules database on the Internet.