APL unveils new Asia-Oceania loop

CMA CGM’s subsidiary line APL is scheduled to launch the China Australia Service 3 (CA3) between North Asia and the East Coast of Australia May 21.    Singapore-based ocean carrier APL, a subsidiary of CMA CGM, will commence a new container service May 21 connecting North Asia to the East Coast of Australia.
   The China Australia Service 3 (CA3) will sail from Yokohama to Osaka, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and back to Yokohama, according to APL.
   The number of deployed vessels, along with the average vessel capacity of those vessels is unknown at this time.
   “The new CA3 service will be characterized by its strategic connections across North and Central China, Japan and Korea to the largest cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in eastern Australia,” said Chan Khai Tou, APL Head of Intra-Asia Short Sea and Oceania Services. “Promising market-leading transit time from Qingdao, Shanghai and Ningbo to Melbourne, the CA3 service offers yet another compelling option for APL shippers who will benefit from the direct coverage from six key North Asian ports to the Australian continent.”
   According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting‘s Capacity Report, APL currently operates a vessel on one service and purchases slots on four other services in the Asia to Oceania trade lane.