Oakland, CA – December 21, 2010 – The newest trans-Pacific ocean carrier, Hainan P O Shipping Co., Ltd. (P O Shipping) has expanded its services with a call connecting Oakland with five major ports in China.

P O Shipping inaugurated the Oakland call Monday, December 20, 2010, with the arrival of its vessel, the POS Hong Kong. It is part of a weekly Central Asia Express (CAE) service, which was launched in August 2010 with one U.S. port of call at Long Beach. This service will now link Oakland with Hong Kong, Yantian, Xiamen, Ningbo, and Shanghai.

“Our expansion to serve Oakland demonstrates our commitment to provide a greater level of service to our customers,” said K.K. Chan, president of P O Shipping Agency (USA), Inc. “As the third-busiest port on the U.S. West Coast, and its location as a premier gateway for U.S. agricultural exports, Oakland is a natural choice.”

Five vessels in the 2,700 to 3,200 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container unit) range comprise the weekly service and will call each Saturday at the Oakland International Container Terminal facility (berths 57-59).

P O Shipping also operates an integrated feeder network in China, which will enable cargo from the outlying ports of Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian, and Nansha to transship to the CAE for direct transit to Oakland.

“P O Shipping’s decision to expand to Oakland means more choices and flexibility for U.S. importers and exporters who use our gateway,” said James Kwon, the Port of Oakland’s maritime director.” Its service connects Oakland with some of the fastest-growing regions in China, particularly the Yangtze River Delta and the northern Bohai Rim.”

Sample line haul transit times (direct service; no trans-shipments) include:

For U.S. imports:
Hong Kong to Oakland – 18 days
Ningbo to Oakland – 14 days
Shanghai to Oakland - 13 days

For U.S. exports:
Oakland to Hong Kong – 16 days
Oakland to Yantian – 16 days
Oakland to Xiamen – 18 days

About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport, offering over 130 daily flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Please visit: www.portofoakland.com.

About PO Shipping Agency (USA), Inc.
Hainan P O Shipping Co., Ltd. (P O Shipping) has been established to promote the development of the Yangpu region and invigorate the economy of the Hainan province. P O Shipping launched its North America operations in August 2010. P O Shipping offers a new liner service to the growing trans-Pacific, intra-Asia and Australasian trade lanes. The inaugural vessel sailed on August 21, 2010 from Shanghai. P O Shipping vessels call 10 ports in the trans-Pacific trade including Long Beach, Oakland, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghai, Dalian, Tianjin and Qingdao along with interior points in both China and North America. The new company is led by Capt. Li Kelin (former Vice President of COSCO Group and President of China Shipping Group), who is the Executive Chairman of P O Shipping’s Board of Directors.

The POS Hongkong departs the Oakland International Container Terminal at the
Port of Oakland Dec. 20, completing its first call to Oakland, and inaugurating
the start of the CAE (Central Asia Express) vessel service linking China and Oakland.

Media Contacts:

Robert Bernardo
Communications Manager
(510) 627-1401
Click here to contact Robert Bernardo

M.J. Dornford
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
P O Shipping Agency (USA), Inc.
(562) 282-4904
[email protected]