American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier, (ARC) announces the initiation of a new US Flag Roll-On Roll-Off Service between the US Gulf and East Coasts to the Middle East. The Service will commence with the sailing of RESOLVE on May 23rd from Houston, Texas. The INDEPENDENCE will join the new Service sailing from Houston on June 25th. ARC's new US Flag liner Service will call the ports of Houston, Jacksonville, Charleston, and Baltimore, in the United States, and Alexandria, Egypt; Jeddah and Damman, Saudi Arabia; Dubai, UAE; Ash Shuaibah, Ash Shuwaikh, Kuwait; Fujairah, UAE; and Umm Qasr, Iraq. Other Mideast ports may be added at a later date. Mediterranean Sea Ports will be called on inducement, and Black Sea Ports will be served via transshipment.

ARC will increase its Mideast Service to four vessels when the ARC US Flag ro/ro fleet is expanded to eight ships, with the addition of vessels which have been awarded contracts in the new US Maritime Security Program.

The primary focus of ARC's Service will be reconstruction and relief cargoes shipped or sponsored by US Government Agencies, including US Department of State, Agency for International Development, Export-Import Bank and others. Vehicles and equipment will be carried for the Department of Defense. Commercial cargoes, including automobiles, trucks, construction equipment and project cargo will be carried by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines (WWL), who will charter space on the ARC vessels and will offer the new Middle East Service as an integral part of its global network of services.

ARC's North European Service, operating since 1990, will continue to feature three US Flag ro/ro vessels providing service every 10 days between Brunswick, Charleston and Baltimore in the US, and Antwerp, Bremerhaven and Southampton in Europe.