[ TMM and APL to Sharply Upgrade Asia-Mexico Con... ]

TMM and APL to Sharply Upgrade Asia-Mexico Container Service

APL and TMM said they will sharply upgrade their weekly trans-Pacific
container service between Asia and Mexico to support the needs of manu
facturers and retailers operating in thesemarkets.
The improved service, scheduled to commence in early April, will incl
ude the industry's first non-stop trans-Pacific call at the Mexican po
rt of Ensenada and the fastest available service between Asia and the
port of Manzanillo -- gateway to Mexico City. Ensenada features a newl
y developed container terminal which is an ideal gateway to the still-
emerging maquiladora industry at Baja California.
Six containerships will sail directly between Asia and Mexico, elimina
ting from the rotation two calls on the U.S. West Coast and two calls
at Pacific islands, in order to provide fast, more reliable Asia-Mexic
o service in both directions. Deployments of the ships are coordinated
in consultation between the two companies, who are long-time partners
in the trade. TMM will operate all six ships and APL will slot charte
r a substantial amount of space.
"Given the projected growth we see in the trade, especially in the ea
stbound direction, we are introducing an unprecedented level of servic
e,"said Carlos Velez, APL's director general in Mexico, and Juan M. Go
nzalez, TMM's vice president, Asia, in a joint statement.
They added that the new service will also facilitate exports of refrig
erated products from Mexico.