Ocean Freight: Panalpina launches four new LCL services in Latin America

Panalpina, one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions, has launched four new direct Less than Container Load (LCL) services in Latin America through its in-house carrier Pantainer Express Line. The new guaranteed weekly and bi-weekly services will connect Buenaventura (Colombia) with Guayaquil (Ecuador) and Colon (Panama) as well as Santos (Brazil) with Colon and Veracruz (Mexico) with La Guaira (Venezuela). Transit time from Mexico to Venezuela is reduced by 15 days.

The new LCL services will further optimize the supply chain in Latin America and strengthen Panalpina’s position as one of the leading LCL service providers in this region. Buenaventura to Guayaquil and Santos to Colon are weekly services. Buenaventura to Colon and Veracruz to La Guaira are bi-weekly services. The new direct service from Veracruz to La Guaira allows for a 12 day transit time, a reduction of 15 days from the previous routing. Direct transit from Buenaventura to Colon and Guayaquil takes four and six days respectively. Transit time for Santos to Colon is 17 days. 

Panama hub gives access to Central America and Caribbean

“The two new services into Panama offer our customers access to numerous existing services that Panalpina operates out of Colon to Central America and the Caribbean”, said Markus Jornot, Panalpina’s Country Manager for Panama. “The service from Santos to Colon is a great example. It connects Brazil’s booming economy with Central America.” Panama has been a strategically important LCL hub for Panalpina since 1982. The geographic location, the Panama Canal and the ease of doing business in Panama make Colon a natural transshipment port.

All the ports that are served by the new services pay an important role in the region. Santos, less than 100 kilometers away from Brazil’s economic powerhouse São Paulo, is home to Latin America’s busiest port. The port of Veracruz, less than 400 kilometers away from Mexico City, is crucial for cargo flowing in and out of the Mexican metropolis. Buenaventura in Colombia represents the most important port on South America’s west coast. It plays a key role for trade on the west coast of South America and for imports from the Far East. The port of Guayaquil is Ecuador’s economic center. It handles 93% of the country’s container traffic. The port of La Guaira is the closest port to Caracas. It lies at the foot of Venezuela’s central highlands, approximately 30 kilometers to the northwest of the capital.

Connecting the dots throughout the world

Panalpina has been working hard to strategically knit ports together within its global LCL network. “Customers want simplicity and global reach. In 2011 alone, we launched more than 50 new LCL services, the majority of them involving Asia. The four new services in Latin America are part of Panalpina’s long-term growth strategy and the latest example of our continuous effort to connect the right dots”, said Frank Hercksen, Global Head of Ocean Freight at Panalpina.

Increased flexibility, reliability and improved supply chain

Panalpina is one of the leading LCL service providers in the world. Less than Container Load or LCL offers the possibility to consolidate multiple consignments from several customers in one Full Container Load (FCL). The Panalpina LCL product consists of numerous direct LCL services in combination with its global strategic LCL hub network. Panalpina provides customers seamless door-to-door services with the highest level of schedule integrity increasing the flexibility and reliability within the end-to-end supply chain.

The Panalpina Group

The Panalpina Group is one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions, combining intercontinental Air and Ocean Freight with comprehensive Value-Added Logistics Services and Supply Chain Services. Thanks to its in-depth industry know-how and customized IT systems, Panalpina provides globally integrated end-to-end solutions tailored to its customers’ supply chain management needs. The Panalpina Group operates a global network with some 500 branches in more than 80 countries. In a further 80 countries, it cooperates closely with partner companies. Panalpina employs approximately 15,500 people worldwide.

www.panalpina.com

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