Ocean Network Express (ONE) has introduced its new EC5 route calling at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
ONE, formed by a recent merger of Japanese carriers K Line, MOL and NYK, launched its new EC5 service on April 23, 2018, at the South Asia Gateway Terminal (SAGT) at the Port of Colombo — Sri Lanka’s first private terminal.
SAGT opened in 1999.
A consortium of local and global companies own the terminal, including APM Terminals, which holds a 33% share.
It has seen almost continuous year-on-year volume growth and achieved a container throughput of 1.8 million TEUs in 2017.
Read about how ports and terminals are facing unprecedented challenges in 'Mega-Alliance Impact', a technical paper by global shipping analyst Neil Davidson from Drewry
ONE’s EC5 service will link Asia to the East Coast of North America, with calls at Laem Chabang, Thailand; Cai Mep, Vietnam; Singapore and Colombo before crossing the Atlantic via the Suez Canal, calling Halifax, Canada; and New York, Savannah, Jacksonville and Norfolk in the US, before returning eastbound with stops at Halifax; Jebel Ali, UAE, and Singapore.
The Port of Colombo, with a combined throughput of 6.2 million TEUs in 2017, has risen to a ranking of 23rd worldwide.
It is a major transhipment port for India, Bangladesh and domestic cargoes, as well as for cargoes in transit from Southeast Asian ports to Europe and North America.
Transhipment represents 75% of Colombo’s overall container handling traffic.
