Matson, Inc. will expand its service network to Okinawa by adding the Port of Naha to its China-Long Beach Express service.

According to Matson, the new CLX service will begin with departures from Seattle on January 28, Oakland on January 31 and Long Beach on February 1, and an arrival at Naha on February 18, 2017.

The service will offer transit times to Naha of 20 days from Seattle, 18 days from Oakland, 17 days from Long Beach and 10 days from Honolulu, and 14 days to Long Beach, 17 days to Oakland and 33 days to Seattle from Naha.

“Matson has been rated the #1 ocean carrier in the world for three years running because of its commitment to operating the fastest and most reliable service in the markets we serve,” said John Lauer, senior vice president of ocean services. “Consistent with that commitment and Matson’s strategy to look for ways to leverage its superior Pacific network to offer new services, adding Naha allows us to provide the fastest service to an important locale for the US government without diminishing our eastbound CLX capacity out of China. The westbound transit time from Long Beach to Naha will save shippers up to four days on existing services in the market.”

The port rotation will be: Long Beach – Honolulu – Guam – Naha – Ningbo – Shanghai – Long Beach.

Naha will replace the existing CLX call at Xiamen, where the last direct call will be made on February 5, 2017.

The CLX service is operated with five vessels sailing under the US flag, according to Matson.