Jaxport strikes up Canal partnership

“Jaxport is already strongly connected to the Panama Canal by 13 ocean carriers and more than 600 annual calls in Jacksonville,” said Jaxport chief executive Rick Ferrin at the launch of the partnership in April. “We regard the opening of the new locks as the beginning of a profound transformation in global cargo patterns, specifically for cargo flowing from and into the US. We’ll be ready for the completion of the new locks and the dramatic increase of our canal cargo volume.”

Jaxport has been “redefined as a port” through its success in attracting new direct services to Asia in recent times, according to Roy Schleicher, senior director, trade development and global marketing.

The New World Alliance, having introduced the port’s first direct shipping link with Asia, introduced a second weekly sailing last year on its route via the Panama Canal. This was followed by CMA CGM’s Asia service which launched mid 2009.

Now Jaxport has attracted another direct Asia service; the joint Mitsui OSK Lines and K Line service will operate via the Suez Canal, taking in Vietnam, South China and Singapore. Both these services are calling at the TraPac container terminal, which doubled Jacksonville’s container handling capacity when it was opened in January 2009.

“Two years ago we didn’t have any Asian carriers – now we have eight through the different services/alliances,” says Mr Schleicher. “This has given us more of a global gateway status.”

Jaxport is still in discussions with Hanjin about the construction of a second new container terminal; the completion target for this is 2013, assuming a year of environmental and engineering work and two years of construction. “We are pushing for that date, just in advance of the [completed] Panama Canal,” says Mr Schleicher.

A major dredging project to provide the whole of Jaxport with an authorised 40 feet is due for completion in August or September, easing access and eliminating the need for lightering upriver for the likes of MSC and Hamburg Sud; the port continues to press the government for funding to deepen to 50 ft.