APL upsizes North Asia Philippines Express (NPX)

Extended coverage to serve Central China and other Asian markets via Kaohsiung

SINGAPORE, 7 APRIL, 2011: Container shipping leader APL has expanded its North Asia Philippines Express (NPX) feeder service to cover Central China and Manila in the Philippines beginning this month. Service enhancements also include two weekly calls to Manila from Kaohsiung for improved connectivity across Asia.

“Extending the NPX service will enhance our Intra-Asia network and better serve dynamic, fast-growing markets in Asia,” said Jason Wong, APL Vice President for Intra-Asia Trade. “NPX provides convenient connections so cargo can move more quickly and reliably within Asia."

South China and Hong Kong markets are better served with direct calls to Manila, said APL. Enhanced connections also link Philippine markets with Central China and other Asian markets through calls in Kaohsiung.

South East Asian markets can connect at Kaohsiung with APL’s Intra-Asia services, Korea China Straits (KCS) and Japan Thailand Vietnam (JTV) services. North Asia cargo bound for the Philippines can connect to NPX using KCS and JTV services via Hong Kong.

APL will deploy three vessels, each with a capacity of 1,100-TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit).

Port rotation for the NPX will be: Ningbo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Kaohsiung, Manila, Cebu, Cagayan, Kaohsiung and Ningbo.

For more information on APL’s services, visit: www.apl.com/services.

About APL
APL is a global container shipping business offering more than 80 weekly services and more than 500 calls at more than 140 ports worldwide. It combines world-class intermodal operations with leading-edge IT and e-commerce. APL is a unit of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), global shipping and logistics company. APL Web site: www.apl.com

APL press release