Houston attracts Cosco's Asia all-water service as only US port of call
2012 03 26
- Details
A new all-water service connecting Asia and Houston via the Panama Canal is being introduced by Cosco Container Lines Americas.
The sailing of the Gulf of Mexico Express service (GME) is scheduled to depart from Shanghai on April 29 and to arrive on May 28 in Houston, which is the service's only US port of call.
The first voyage will be undertaken by the Cosco Auckland, which will also be the ship's first deployment since joining the Cosco fleet.
The port rotation of the GME service is Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Shenzhen-Yantian, Colon and Houston.
A statement from the Port of Houston Authority said its representatives have been working for more than two years on soliciting and securing the service that links ports in China directly to Houston.
It expects the new service to bring "significant" new business to Houston as demand for direct services has grown significantly as a result of a strong regional economy and a fast-growing population.
"We chose the Port of Houston because of their progressive approach to cargo handling, ideal intermodal connections and geography that easily met shipper requirements. Quay and crane configurations allow us to turn a vessel in minimum time," said Tim Marsh, vice president, North American sales, Cosco Container Lines Americas.
The new GME service joins CMA CGM's existing PEX3 service, which has been operating as an all-water service between Asia and Houston for several years.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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