As part of the CMA CGM Group, APL will join the league of the world’s largest container shipping lines in the OCEAN Alliance from April 2017. Navigating forward as a member of the world’s third largest container shipping Group, APL is poised to serve a network coverage of 38 loops within the OCEAN Alliance; and over 70 other loops beyond the Alliance.
Container ship APL Paris - Image courtesy: Steven Carrett
APL Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Sartini said: “APL will be well-placed as a formidable container shipping carrier as we stand amongst the strongest forces behind the Alliance. While the Alliance will be characterised by unparalleled port coverage, frequent sailings and very competitive transit time, APL will continue to make a difference beyond the reliable transportation of cargoes from origin to destination. APL will persist in value creation and innovating shipping solutions that facilitate our customers’ global connectivity and speed-to-market.”
As a carrier for 38 services of the Alliance, APL will serve seven major trades in Asia–North America (West Coast), Asia-North America (East Coast), Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Asia-Middle East, Asia-Red Sea and the Transatlantic. With access to a highly efficient fleet of some 350 vessels with 3.5 million TEUs in total capacity, APL will leverage flexible slot capacity management to optimise economics.
As a standalone brand of the Group, APL will continue to make a commercial difference through compelling propositions and customised supply chain solutions. For instance, APL is steering forward as the trusted global reefer specialist with a proven track record in fulfilling highly-complex reefer cargo shipments. Through special services such as APL’s Eagle Stow that promises cargo availability within 12 hours of vessel cargo operation and ready-cargo on-chassis from the Global Gateway South Terminal in Los Angeles, APL seeks to offer the added-advantage for customers who demand quicker cargo availability and greater predictability in their supply chain.
The OCEAN Alliance is scheduled to commence operation from April 2017, following all necessary regulatory approvals.
Source: APL