The Alabama State Port Authority has announced THE Alliance’s AL4 service will call at the port of Mobile from May. That follows news that Wal-Mart will build a distribution center nearby. The port’s handling increased 9% in March on a year earlier, Panjiva data shows, as a result of a 42% increase in shipments from China. Yet, European volumes – which AL4 covers – fell 13%. The growth in volumes coming from Asia may begin to slow as the so-called “Panama Canal effect” appears to have plateaued.