GRAND ALLIANCE CONFIRMS START OF 8TH ASIA/NORTH AMERICA SERVICE

GRAND ALLIANCE CONFIRMS START OF 8TH ASIA/NORTH AMERICA SERVICE    Grand Alliance carriers Hapag-Lloyd, NYK, OOCL and P&O Nedlloyd have started their eighth weekly Asia/North America service.
   The South China Express service employs six ships of about 2,800-TEU capacity, adding some 145,000 TEUs in annual one-way capacity to the trade.
   The SCX loop has a rotation of Singapore, Laem Chabang, Kaohsiung, Los Angeles, Oakland, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Singapore and Laem Chabang.
   The transpacific service has already commenced eastbound. Contrary to normal practice, its launch was not announced to the shipping press. Significantly, the start of the service coincides with reports from main U.S. West Coast ports that the growth of the inbound container traffic, mainly from Asia, stalled in April.
   The first westbound sailing of the new Grand Alliance service will be made by the 'California Jupiter” on Wednesday (May 23) from the port of Los Angeles. Hapag-Lloyd said that, in August, an eastbound call at Hong Kong will be added to the service.
   Including the new SCX West Coast service, the Grand Alliance now provides: six weekly services between Asia and the West Coast of North America — the SCX, SSX, FEX, JCX, CKX and PNX loops; one weekly service that covers both the East and West coasts of North America to and from Asia — the PAX service via Panama; and one U.S. East Coast/Asia weekly service via Suez — the AEX service.