Suez Express

Container-shipping leader APL has introduced a new service from South Asia via the Suez Canal. The service is designed to give importers an alternative to bringing East Coast-bound shipments in through congested U.S. West Coast ports and then hauling them cross-country via intermodal rail.

Called Suez Express, the weekly service provides fast transit times from Asia to the U.S. East Coast. APL uses eight ships in the new service. Each can carry between 4,000 and 4,500 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). Four of the vessels in the service are U.S.-flag vessels, registered in the United States and carrying American crews.

The service has four U.S. ports of call: New York; Charleston, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Norfolk, Va. It offer connections to the United States from nearly all parts of South Asia, including India, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia, by providing feeder service to direct ports of call.

The service's port rotation includes Singapore; Colombo, Sri Lanka; New York; Charleston; Savannah; Norfolk; Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates; Port Klang, Malaysia; and Singapore. The transit time from Singapore to New York is just 21 days; transit times from Singapore to Charleston and Savannah are 24 and 25 days, respectively.

Company: APL

Company URL: www.apl.com