Maersk’s new Latin service calls on Savannah

Georgia Ports Authority’s (GPA) executive director Curtis Foltz announced that Maersk has added the Port of Savannah to its newest all-water service, Spondylus.


Named for the seashell that once was used as currency for trade by Andeans in Ecuador, the new service will call on Savannah weekly.


“The Port of Savannah offers a logistically friendly location with two on-terminal rail providers and immediate access to two interstate highways, which helps us attract additional cargo,” said Foltz.


The service first called on Garden City Terminal on February 23. The Spondylus service deploys four vessels of 1,700-TEU capacity and is expected to bring about 22,000 TEUs annually through Savannah. Port rotation includes: Savannah, Miami, Manzanillo, Balboa, Esmeraldas, Paita, Guayaquil, New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia.


Georgia exporters have a great opportunity to ship woodpulp and paperboard directly from Savannah to Ecuador and Peru to make cartons for fruit shipments. This packaging is then used to carry fruits and vegetable products on the Spondylus service to Savannah, the established gateway for refrigerated container cargo in the South Atlantic.


The primary import commodities from the region in addition to fruits and vegetables are lumber, plywood, fish and foodstuffs.
(Source:http://www.cargonewsasia.com)