From September 2017, Swire Shipping will bring greater connectivity between Townsville, Queensland, Australia, and Asia through an upgrade of its North Asia Express (NAX) service.
The 20-day frequency service offers market-leading transit times to/ from major Asia and Southeast Asia ports and will be supported through the deployment of modern and bigger vessels. Shippers can look forward to an eight-day transit to Singapore, a 17-day transit from Shanghai and a 15-day transit from Ningbo.
Jeremy Sutton, General Manager, Swire Shipping, said, “Swire has a long-term commitment to Australia and has provided sustainable shipping services between Australia and the Asia Pacific region since 1883. Our North Asia Express service enhancement, in particular, caters to the shipping needs of the businesses and community in Townsville and will hopefully boost trade for North Queensland.”
In support of this announcement, Ms Claudia Brumme-Smith, General Manager Trade and Property, Port of Townsville, commented, “Port of Townsville welcomes the announcement of Swire Shipping’s upgraded service from Townsville to Asia. The fast transport times to Singapore will assist our customers and producers to gain market access to one of the most vibrant trading cities of the world and known to be the logistics hub of Asia.
“This new eight-day direct service will for example allow growers to export time sensitive cargo including locally grown fruit and vegetable products such as avocados, mangos and melons in a timely manner to Singapore and other Asian markets. The service is a great opportunity for North Queensland businesses to connect with the world.”
Natalie Adamsson, Swire Shipping Commercial Sales Manager, North and Central Queensland added, “Our dedicated team in Townsville are looking forward to assisting the local businesses to optimise Swire Shipping’s market-leading transit times to better meet their logistics needs.”
Swire Shipping provides flexible, multipurpose liner services with capacity for conventional, refrigerated and project cargoes. It deploys a fleet of modern and ecofriendly vessels as a long-term commitment to deliver sustainable shipping solutions to its customers.
Swire Shipping is supported by more than 100 employees across five offices in Australia, located at Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Townsville. At present, eight of Swire Shipping’s liner trades serve Australia ports, including Darwin, Townsville, Gladstone, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Port Kembla, Geelong, Melbourne and Bell Bay, bringing more than 500 port calls to Australia per year.
Source: Swire Shipping