PIL Inks MOU with Guangzhou Nansha Development Zone

Singapore-incorporated shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China Guangzhou Nansha Development Zone to explore business opportunities and the development of a shipping/logistics base in the Nansha New Area.  

The MOU also aims at increasing trade cooperation and deepening business ties between PIL and the development zone, the shipping firm said.

Located 38 and 41 nautical miles from Hong Kong and Macau, Nansha New Area is one of three development zones that came together to form the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free-Trade Zone.

Furthermore, PIL revealed that it plans to upgrade its China Transpacific trade lines, starting from April 2017. Under a vessel sharing agreement (VSA), the company will launch ACS and AC5, two new weekly services, on April 3 and April 4, respectively.

Each of the two services will link Central and South China to US West Coast in 42 round voyage days. Twelve vessels with a capacity ranging from 6,500 to 10,000 TEUs will be deployed in the services.

Port rotation of the ACS service will be as follows: Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo (China), Los Angeles, Oakland (USA), Qingdao.

The AC5 service will include the following ports: Xiamen, Nansha (China), Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Yantian (Yantian), Long Beach, Oakland (USA), Xiamen.

The two services are complemented by three other Transpacific loops under a slot exchange arrangement, according to PIL.

PIL owns and operates a fleet of 155 vessels, comprising 136 containerships and 19 bulk carriers/ multi-purpose vessels.