The service will be operated in association with Team Lines, the Hamburg-based short-sea specialist. As a result APL will also gain access to capacity on Team Lines?? services between Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Finland (Helsinki), Latvia (Riga), Estonia (Tallinn), Gdynia and Klaipeda.

LBX will provide convenient connections with APL's wide network of deep-sea container services linking Europe with Asia and the Americas.

"The launch of our own service in the lower Baltic is a response to growing demand, both import and export, especially following the opening of our own organization in Poland last year," commented Dave Appleton, President, Europe Region. "By operating dedicated feeders where there is sufficient demand we can also retain control of the cargo within our system, optimise cargo connections and enhance service levels to our customers," he added.