APL Logistics opening office in Laredo

   APL Logistics today opened its first APL Logistics/Carmichael International Service customs brokerage office in Laredo, Texas.
   APL Logistics, the supply chain management unit of Singapore’s NOL Group, acquired U.S. customs brokerage and trade compliance firm Carmichael International Service in 2012. Carmichael offers traditional customs brokerage, trade compliance, consulting and transportation services.
   The new facility builds on APL Logistics and Carmichael’s network in North America to provide greater trade connectivity between the U.S. and Mexico, thus enabling the company to better support customers with business activities on both sides of the border.
   The new Laredo office offers a complete range of customs brokerage and trade services and will handle all commodities, with a strong focus on automotive, apparel, textiles and electronics. It also supports import and export management services through the ports of Hidalgo/Pharr, Progreso, Brownsville, Eagle Pass and Del Rio, along with other assigned ports within the customs district.
   “We are excited to open our first facility on the U.S. southern border, further integrating us into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) free trade zone,” said Tony Zasimovich, APL Logistics’ senior vice president of international logistics services. “With an enhanced customs clearance and trade capability on the important U.S.-Mexico trade lane, we can provide significant opportunities for our customers with U.S. import business from Mexico.”
   John Salvo, president of Carmichael International Service, said, “The Laredo region is a dynamic marketplace that offers great potential. We are pleased to welcome a seasoned trade professional, Rosalinda Saenz, to lead our new operations here. Rosalinda has a long history in the local community, and she will provide us with the deep experience and vast knowledge necessary to serve our customers’ supply chain needs.”
   With the new Laredo facility, the company now operates 11 customs brokerage offices in Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco/Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Savannah and Memphis.