GRAND ALLIANCE REVISES TRANSPACIFIC SERVICES
The Grand Alliance of NYK, OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd and P&O Nedlloyd has
revised three of its joint transpacific container services.
The "FEX" weekly loop of the alliance, which covers Japan, Hong
and Taiwan, no longer calls at the Pacific Northwest ports of Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
A call at the port of Oakland has been added to the vessel rotation and the service
continues to call at Los Angeles.
The "JCX" loop, serving Japan and China, now picks up the calls
at Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. from the FEX service. The change will permit direct
connections between the Pacific Northwest and China.
In a separate development, the Grand Alliance has added a 15th vessel to
its "AEX/PNX" pendulum service. The complex itinerary of the service remains
largely unchanged, following the route East Coast of North America/Mediterranean/Asia/West
Coast of North America/Asia/Mediterranean/East Coast of North America. The addition of a
15th ship and a rescheduling of the service is designed to improve its reliability, an
executive with one Grand Alliance carrier said.