Charleston, SC - The first APL vessel in a new Suez service docked at the Port of Charleston's Wando Welch Terminal on Sunday, making about 900 lifts at an average of 42 moves per crane per hour.
The 903-foot-long PRESIDENT ADAMS is one of eight vessels in the New World Alliance's (NWA) weekly service between the U.S. East Coast and South Asia.
The Suez Express, or SZX, calls Colombo, Sri Lanka; Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates; Kelang, Malaysia; and Singapore. Transit time from Singapore to Charleston is 24 days.
The SZX increases NWA's Charleston business by 50%, and brings the consortium's total vessel count to more than 150 ships annually. NWA's other Charleston service, the Atlantic Pacific Express (APX), has two weekly calls in Charleston and links the port with Asia and North Europe.
NWA comprises American President Lines, Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. and Mitsui OSK Lines.
Each of the eight vessels on the SZX can carry between 4,000 and 4,500 20-foot equivalent units (TEU). Four of the vessels are U.S. flag carriers, meaning they are registered in the United States and carry American crews.