New container line enters transpacific

New container line enters transpacific
   Hainan P.O. Shipping Co. is planning a mid-August launch of a transpacific container liner service.
   The Central China/America West Coast Express Service will utilize four 2,700-TEU ships and offers a weekly service rotation of Ningbo, Shanghai, Long Beach and Ningbo. Transit time will be 12 days from Ningbo to Long Beach and 11 days from Shanghai to Long Beach, where the carrier will call the Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J. The vessels are Long Mu Wan, Xiang Sui Wan, POS Long Beach and POS Los Angeles.
   The Shanghai-based carrier already offers domestic services in China and between China and Australia, and China and Vietnam.
   The new service to Long Beach will offer interior service to Chicago and Houston.
   Hainan P.O. Shipping is one of several carriers that have started transpacific services in 2010. Others include PIL and The Containership Company, which both launched new services in April.
   Horizon Line, will start marketing a new eastbound transpacific service later this year, using space on its vessels that it has sold wholesale to Maersk Line.
   The Federal Maritime Commission said Monday that Hainan P.O. Shipping, as a “controlled carrier” had petitioned for an exemption from the first sentence of Section 9(c) of the Shipping Act, 46 U.S.C. '40703, which normally requires government owned or controlled carriers 30 days notice before changing rates.
   The FMC is asking for public comments on the request through Aug. 20. ' Chris Dupin