Oakland replaces L.A. as Pacific service’s first inbound call

Oakland replaces L.A. as Pacific service’s first inbound call    Breaking with tradition, New World Alliance MOL, APL and Hyundai are replacing Los Angeles by Oakland as the first inbound call in the U.S. for one of their joint transpacific West Coast services.
   A weekly inbound call at Oakland, the northern Californian port usually seen as a gateway for U.S. exports, will be added to the Pacific Southwest Express (PSX) service, starting with the arrival of the 4,646-TEU “MOL Expeditor” in Oakland on June 24. The ships will then call at Los Angeles, previously the sole U.S. port call in the service, before returning to Asia to call at Hong Kong and Chiwan.
   MOL operates the four containerships in this service. It said the move is “designed to give customers added flexibility and value.”
   The move also shows that carriers are prepared to use different gateways, including Oakland, as an alternative to congestion-prone Los Angeles and Long Beach.
   APL and Hyundai Merchant Marine also take space on the PSX service, which was known as the PSV seasonal service.
   MOL said the service will provide a fast transit time of 10 days from Yantian to Oakland, increasing to 11 days to Los Angeles. “The PSX will give our customers scheduling flexibility, fast delivery, and strengthen our overall Pacific Southwest service profile,” said Ray Keene, chief operating officer and executive vice president of MOL (America).