ORIENT Overseas Container Line (OOCL) yesterday started another weekly feeder service between China and Japan. The new service was prompted by shippers' requirements for more efficient and timely cargo transportation into and out of China. Two vessels with capacity of 800 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) each are deployed on the service, with calls at at Xingang and Dalian in China, and Kobe and Yokohama in Japan. The vessels leave Yokohama every Friday, arriving in Xingang on Tuesday and departing every Thursday. From Dalian, the vessels depart every Sunday for to arrive in Kobe on Wednesday and Yokohama on Thursday. Customers are provided with more options for moving cargo to the United States and Europe as a result of connections with main liner vessels in Japan. Transit times to the US west coast are as short as 18 days. OOCL is well-established in China trade with five dedicated feeder services between China and Japan, and between China and Hong Kong. It has an extensive network of offices and agents throughout the mainland which, when combined with on-line global information systems, provides superior customer service. Headquartered in Hong Kong, OOCL is well-positioned to serve the expanding China market, and upgraded its offices and services in the territory recently. Last month, OOCL placed an order with Samsung Heavy Industries of Japan to build a 2,300 TEU ice-class containership to be delivered in June 1996. The new ship will be deployed on the liner's transAtlantic services to increase the efficiency of service. It will have a service speed of 20 knots. As an ice-class ship, the vessel will be deployed on one of OOCL's Canadian Gateway Express services as part of the St Lawrence Co-ordinated Service. Ice-strengthened ships are needed on this service to ensure reliability in the winter months. The Gateway Express service covers three routes serving the ports of Felixstowe, Liverpool, Antwerp, Hamburg and Le Havre in Europe, and Montreal in Canada, on a fixed-day weekly sailing. 'Winter time always poses a potential problem for the Canadian services as the St Lawrence seaway freezes,' said Jim Poon, OOCL's European trade managing director. 'OOCL's investment in the new purpose-built vessel is to ensure we will not suffer from the freeze and will provide our customers with an uninterrupted service during heavy weather, as well as our usual quality service year-round.' OOCL has been serving Canada trade for more than 100 years, previously as Manchester Liners. It introduced the third Gateway Express route in April
