German Megaliners Launch Weekly Pacific Northwest-Mediterranean Service

German megaliners, Hamburg Süd and Hapag-Lloyd, recently launched a joint weekly service directly connecting the Pacific Northwest to the Mediterranean with International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) Terminal 6 in the Port of Portland, Oregon as one of the key stops in the service’s route.

The joint service also offers feeder connections to the Far East, Middle East, Indian Ocean, Latin America and West Africa.

“With more ships regularly calling at Terminal 6, the new service gives Portland a competitive advantage. Local businesses are provided with a more efficient and dependable way in shipping their products. Also, the addition of new vessels will improve terminal capacity while expanding Portland’s trade in new markets,” says Elvis Ganda, chief executive officer of ICTSI Oregon, Inc., operator of Terminal 6.

The two German shipping lines re-configured their North America West Coast service for the new joint service, and will now have the following port rotation: Cartagena, Colombia; Manzanillo in Mexico; Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Oakland and Los Angeles in the United States; back to Manzanillo in Mexico; Manzanillo in Panama; back to Cartagena; Caucedo in the Domincan Republic; Tangier in Morocco; Valencia in Spain; Cagliari, Livorno and Genoa in Italy; Marseilles-Fos in France; Barcelona and Valencia, Spain; back to Tangier and across the Atlantic to Cartagena.

“Portland offers a strong import and export market with a newly deepened navigation channel and excellent intermodal rail, truck and barge connections,” adds David Trzyzewski, vice president of sales and marketing for ICTSI Oregon.

In the first year since assuming operations, ICTSI Oregon, Inc. container volumes grew by nine percent to nearly 200,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) in 2011. Over the course of the year full import containers improved by five percent. Full export containers grew by 27 percent, representing a jump in demand for regional products heading to overseas buyers.

ICTSI Oregon, Inc. operates Terminal 6 under a 25-year lease with the Port of Portland. Parent company ICTSI operates 22 container terminals and port projects in 17 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Portland marks the company’s first entry into the U.S. market.

ICTSI is a leading port management company involved in the operations and development of 22 marine terminals and port projects in 17 countries worldwide. The company was among the first international terminal operators to take its expertise overseas.

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Dredging Today Staff, April 4, 2012; Image: portofportland