APL, Hanjin partner on new intra-Asia loop

   APL and Hanjin Shipping said Wednesday they will start a new joint intra-Asia service linking Thailand and Japan from Dec. 21.
   The new service will be operated with three 1,700-TEU ships with a rotation of Osaka, Kobe, Hibiki, Hakata, Kaohsiung, Chiwan, Laem Chabang, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, and Osaka.
   It wasn’t specified how many of the three vessels each line will provide on the loop, which is dubbed JTE by Hanjin and JT2 by APL.
   Additionally, Hanjin said it will take space on an existing Thailand/Vietnam/Japan service operated by APL, the JTV. That service is operated with three 2,500-TEU APL ships, with a rotation of Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Laem Chabang, Saigon, Kaohsiung, and Tokyo. – Eric Johnson