The Port of Wilmington has regained a direct connection to Asian ports, lost following the collapse of Hanjin Shipping, thanks to a new partnership with MSC and Maersk Line called TP10/Amberjack all-water Asia-U.S. East Coast container service.
The enhanced TP10/Amberjack service consists of ten Panamax 4,300-5,100 TEU ships and commenced in early October at the Port of Wilmington with the arrival of the SeaLand Lightning.
Paul J. Cozza, Executive Director of North Carolina Ports, said: “North Carolina has a ripe market that continues to drive the decisions of the world’s biggest container companies,
“Our inclusion in this rotation not only improves our visibility in international trade but also ensures the businesses that rely on us will have that much needed connection to Asia.”
The new service includes port calls in Qingdao, Xingang, Ningbo, Shanghai and Busan in Asia. This transpacific service traverses the expanded Panama Canal on its way to U.S. East Coast ports. It has the fastest coverage from Asia to Wilmington and is the only service offering direct linkage to the U.S. East Coast into and out of Xingang.
Greg Fennell, CCO of North Carolina Ports said: “Our beneficial cargo owners were clamouring for a stable Asia service in this location. The TP10/Amberjack provides us with greater convenience and enhanced transit times for shippers doing business in Asia.”