APL, ANL and Hanjin Shipping recently joined forces to offer a new weekly service covering Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The new service, with an expected launch date of September 1, 2013, will be called the New Zealand – Asia Express (NAX) service and will operate via a vessel sharing agreement between the three companies.  Each of the three partners will contribute two container ships and offer a 2,200 TEU capacity each week.

The weekly rotation will consist of Singapore, Port Klang, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Tauranga, Brisbane, and back to Singapore.

According to a press release from APL, “The NAX will provide more competitive options to shippers moving dry and reefer cargoes between New Zealand, Australia, Asia and beyond; particularly New Zealand reefer exports destined for key Asian markets,” the VSA partners said in a joint announcement. “We are confident that trade between these markets will continue to expand and we look forward to supporting their growth with our new service offering.”