It is reported that global container carrier APL has commenced services to the Port of Sohar with the arrival of a giant container ship on a maiden visit to the industrial port’s Oman International Container Terminal. MV APL Chile, a 4,038 TEU vessel deployed by APL on its China Middle East service, has discharged 593 TEU of containers destined for Muscat based consignees. A statement by OICT said that APL’s decision to call at Sohar attests to the terminal’s competitive prices and superior performance characterized by a gantry crane productivity of 30 moves per hours and a truck turnaround of 20 minutes. All data interchanges are facilitated by OICT’s real time online computerized system which automatically tracks the movements of all containers without manual intervention.
The visit, the first by an APL vessel underlines Sohar’s growing appeal to international container shipping lines particularly in light of the world class services offered by OICT.
APL’s China Middle East Express is 1 of the industry’s fastest services that connects North China through Shanghai as well as Hong Kong, South China directly to the Middle East. Since it was launched in 2004, the CMX service has been increasingly popular with shippers looking to capitalize on the fast growing trade between China and the Middle East.
Import volumes of Muscat bound containers are expected to grow at Sohar as consignees see the logistical and economic benefits of operating through OICT. APL’s maiden visit to Sohar is a major boost for OICT as it seeks to position itself a world class container terminal in the Lower Gulf. A subsidiary of Singapore based Neptune Orient Lines APL’s global container shipping business offering more than 60 weekly services and nearly 300 calls at more than 90 ports in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. It combines world class intermodal operations with leading edge IT and e commerce.
OICT is a member of Hutchison Port Holdings, the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in a total of 292 berths in 47 ports, spanning 24 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Hutchison Port Holdings also owns a number of transportation related service companies. In 2007, the HPH Group handled a combined throughput of 66.3 million TEU worldwide.
The visit, the first by an APL vessel underlines Sohar’s growing appeal to international container shipping lines particularly in light of the world class services offered by OICT.
APL’s China Middle East Express is 1 of the industry’s fastest services that connects North China through Shanghai as well as Hong Kong, South China directly to the Middle East. Since it was launched in 2004, the CMX service has been increasingly popular with shippers looking to capitalize on the fast growing trade between China and the Middle East.
Import volumes of Muscat bound containers are expected to grow at Sohar as consignees see the logistical and economic benefits of operating through OICT. APL’s maiden visit to Sohar is a major boost for OICT as it seeks to position itself a world class container terminal in the Lower Gulf. A subsidiary of Singapore based Neptune Orient Lines APL’s global container shipping business offering more than 60 weekly services and nearly 300 calls at more than 90 ports in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. It combines world class intermodal operations with leading edge IT and e commerce.
OICT is a member of Hutchison Port Holdings, the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with interests in a total of 292 berths in 47 ports, spanning 24 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Hutchison Port Holdings also owns a number of transportation related service companies. In 2007, the HPH Group handled a combined throughput of 66.3 million TEU worldwide.