Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Long Beach Port Inaugurates New China Service

The Port of Long Beach has welcomed the first call of a new transpac container service by Chinese government-owned carrier Hainan PO Shipping.

The 20-month-old carrier's 2,825-TEU Suzhou Dragon called at Long Beach's Pier J container terminal last week to inaugurate the new service. The carrier has already established several inter-China services as well as routes from China to Australia and Vietnam.

The new Long Beach service is part of Hainan P O Shipping's CAE Express service.

“The ‘CAE Express’ connecting central and north China to Long Beach and select intermodal gateways is the next step in the development of PO Shipping’s commitment to meeting the growing needs of the market and our customer base,” said President of PO Shipping USA K.K. Chan.

The start of the new service underscores the continued resurgence of the international shipping industry and the ongoing demand for berths at the Port of Long Beach, the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard D. Steinke.

The weekly CAE Express service utilizes five vessels – including the Suzhou Dragon – ranging in capacity from 2,700 TEUs to 3,500 TEUs. The new service is expected to add 150,000 TEUs a year to Long Beach's annual volume tally.