A Less than Container Load (LCL) service is now available from logistics specialist Northline. Photo source: Port of Darwin

A new freight service from logistics specialist Northline will enable small and medium businesses in northern Australia to import products from north Asia on a regular, more affordable basis.

The Less than Container Load (LCL) service starts on May 20 when a ship leaves Shanghai for Hong Kong and Darwin with the company's first LCL shipments. Previously, freight could only arrive on a Full Container Load (FCL) basis, making importing products intermittent and expensive for many businesses.

Northline CEO Craige Whitton says there is strong latent demand for an LCL service into northern Australian from the resource and housing construction industries.

"To date, the only way to get shipments from China to Darwin has been on an FCL basis, so if a business in the NT required a spare part from Asia, the only options were to order it via east coast ports and road-freight it to Darwin or have it air-freighted if it was urgent."

The Northline LCL service will deliver to Darwin weekly and use the service to supply customers from Broome to the Gulf of Carpentaria. As well as the resource and housing construction sectors, Northline expects the LCL service to attract demand from other industries, including tiling supply companies, white goods retailers and automotive parts businesses.