Shipping lines APL, Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) have launched a new joint service between Asia and South America, connecting key ports in Mexico, Colombia and Panama with major trading hubs in Asia.
The Asia-South America Service (ASA) will replace the Southeast Asia 1 service, with APL operating six vessels while MOL and NYK will operate one vessel each.
'By providing weekly sailings, competitive transit times, as well as regional connectivity to Central America, West Coast South America and the Caribbean basin, the lines are confident that shippers would be well-served, in particular those who are moving refrigerated cargo from Latin America to the fast growing Asian markets,' said the carriers in a joint statement released 20 April.
The first ASA service will leave the Port of Pusan in South Korea on 22 May, stopping at Yangshan, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Manzanillo, Lazaro, Cardenas, Buenaventura, Balboa, Lazaro Cardena, Manzanillo, and Yokohama before returning to Pusan.
