APL introduced a new weekly service aimed to enhance its network coverage in the Americas. The new America Caribbean Express (ACX) service, which links Central America and U.S. East Coast, is operated through a vessel sharing agreement with SeaLand.
Serviced by three vessels of 1,700 TEU nominal capacity each, the ACX service will provide direct service with fixed day arrivals from Colombia and Panama to the U.S. East Coast.
“The introduction of the ACX expands APL’s suite of services to our customers,” said Efraín Osorio, Head of Latin America Trade in APL. “We are confident that shippers, in particular those who are moving refrigerated cargo, will benefit from the new service, characterized by fast transits, a modern fleet of reefer equipment, and priority handling of reefer cargo.”
The ACX services will provide APL’s customers with connections to the carrier’s feeder network via the Manzanillo International Terminal hub in Panama, as well as integrated intermodal connections to inland U.S. East Coast destinations.
Port rotation of the new service will be: Manzanillo - South Florida – New York - Philadelphia - Savannah – South Florida – Cartagena.
The launch of the new ACX service is subject to regulatory approvals. The first sailing of the service is planned to depart Manzanillo, Panama in late June or early July 2015.