APL Pioneers 100 Years of Shipping in the Philippines

 

Part of APL’s plan is to identify local partnerships to extend its reach to more outports in the Philippines, facilitate trading by opening new service routes and keep engaging industry stakeholders for the development of the sector.

 

APL Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Sartini said, “APL has laid a firm foundation in the Philippines since we established our presence here in 1917. Now, we are a leading ocean carrier in the market because of the trust of our customers and the reliable service that we deliver. From being the first international shipping line to have initiated our services in support of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone development, to pioneering vessel calls across her main local ports, APL has been instrumental in shaping the country’s container shipping sector in the last century. APL will build on our trusted name and persevere in pioneering ocean transportation solutions as we navigate the next 100 years in the Philippines.”

 

APL currently connects the Philippines with her key trade partners such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, North America, Europe and Singapore amongst others through eight Intra-Asia services. These services offer competitive transit times and relay shipments to destinations such as the Middle East, Europe, the Mediterranean and North America via transshipment hubs across Asia.

 

Amongst these services is the China Southeast Asia Service 5 (CS5), which allows direct shipments between North and Central China and Manila. Other services that are also designed to facilitate the Philippines’ rapid trade growth with China and Southeast Asia include the China Southeast Asia Service 3 (CS3), China Southeast Asia 6 (CS6), Japan Taiwan Service 6 (JT6) and the South Philippines Express (SPX).

 

The Philippines plays a big role in the carrier’s global shipping operations because it is where APL’s Pricing Administration Center (PAC) is based. The PAC is the only center that manages all tariff applications and regulatory compliance for APL’s global business. Being a critical backbone to APL’s shipping operations, APL will further develop this local hub as it seeks further growth in the Philippines and globally.

 

Underlining APL’s commitment to the Philippines, Sartini said, “APL will ensure we continually offer the best shipping services and solutions that will take our shippers’ cargo to places. To contribute to advancement of the Philippines’ container shipping industry, APL will further engage key stakeholders including the transportation and port authorities of the country.”

 

APL is currently supported by six local offices across the key island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.