[ Trade is Fast-Growing, Speciaized ]

“This is a fast-growing and very large trade,”said Presti. “While m
any carriers treat intra-Asia volume simply as an adjunct to their lon
g-haul business, APL sees the intra-Asia market as a competitive, fast
-changing and highly specialized market in its own right. Shippers in
this trade have special needs for multiple cut-offs, LCL capability a
nd direct service.”
Presti noted that the intra-Asia container market is estimated to be g
rowing at a rate of eight-to-nine percent per year, and is the world’
s fastest growing major trade lane. In the Japan-to-Indonesia trade,
annual growth has been averaging seven-to-eight percent.
APL’s decision to expand its focus on the short-sea, intra-Asia route
s, he said, feflects the needs of manufacurers and retailers in North
Asia to source raw materials and utilize cost-effective production cap
abilities in Southeast Asia, and also reflects the rapid growth of loc
al consumer markets in Indonesia and the Philippines. Presti noted tha
t the currency devaluations being experienced in Southeast Asia do not
diminish APL’s strong long-term outlook for trade in the region.
APL provides worldwide container transportation and logistics services
through an integrated network combining high-quality intermodal servi
ces with state-of-the-art information technology.