APL creates own organisation in Estonia

Global container transportation leader APL has completed its own organisation structure in the Baltic region with the formation of APL Agencies Estonia OÜ, based in Tallinn.

APL Agencies Estonia OÜ assumed responsibility for all APL activities in the country last month, when it formally took over from the agency company Maritime Cargo Logistics, which represented APL since 2001.

This is the second such company established by APL within the past month. In October APL Agencies UAB opened in the most southerly Baltic republic of Lithuania.

To ensure a seamless transition for customers, some staff at the former agency, led by Mr Aare Kaarma who becomes country manager at APL Agencies Estonia OÜ, are transferring to the new company.

David Appleton, APL President for the Europe region said: “The formation of APL Agencies Estonia completes this phase of our strategic plan for the Baltic and Eastern Europe region. Following accession to the European Union by most of the Eastern European states, we believe their economic prospects and cargo potential will be transformed over the coming years.”

The growth potential for Eastern Europe is borne out by recent research, commissioned by APL, from international consultants Drewry Shipping. Looking at likely demand factors on the two-way Asia-Europe trade, the study concluded that Eastern Europe – including the Baltic States, Poland and Russia, all locations where APL has established its presence in the past few years – could see laden container volumes rise by more than 500% from 2006 levels to more than nine million TEU by 2016.

“Put into perspective,” Mr Appleton said, “nine million loaded TEU is almost the level at which the two-way Asia-North West Europe trade is running at the moment. This is why we felt it so important to plan responsibly for significant volume increases in the East.”

Tallinn is currently served by APL’s Lower Baltic Express (LBX) service, connecting the Baltic port twice-weekly with APL’s global network over Hamburg and Bremerhaven. The LBX links Hamburg and Bremerhaven with Finland (Helsinki), Estonia (Tallinn), Latvia (Riga), Lithuania (Klaipeda) and Poland (Gdynia and Gdansk).