A containership known as the Cap Cleveland has received a warm welcome on Wednesday afternoon as representatives from the Port and terminal operator ICTSI Oregon, Inc. recognize the first Portland call for German carrier Hamburg Süd.
Adding the carrier to Portland’s international container carrier lineup is part of a newly expanded weekly service to the Mediterranean offered in partnership with Hapag-Lloyd.
Officials will board the vessel to meet the captain and crew, where they will present a plaque commemorating the special occasion. Longshore workers will be discharging imports and loading export containers all day before the ship departs the Columbia River bound for ports in Central and South America and continuing on to Africa and Europe.
“This is a big deal – especially for exporters in Oregon and throughout our region,” said John Akre, terminal manager for the Port of Portland . “This first ship represents a more frequent weekly service that will connect the Pacific Northwest and the Mediterranean with direct access to new ports in overseas markets.”
The addition of Hamburg Süd ships adds capacity while reaching new ports overseas through direct and feeder connections including the Far East, Middle East, Indian Ocean, Latin America and West Africa. By bringing more ships to Portland and improving the regularity of the calls, the service will provide a more efficient, dependable and competitive option for shippers utilizing the Port.
When the improved service was announced in February, Lee Goodwin, manager, international transportation for Boise Inc. indicated that it would significantly increase his company’s volumes out of Portland. “Using this enhanced weekly service will improve efficency, cost savings and flexibility in our schedules,” said Goodwin.
The port rotation for the newly configured North America West Coast service is: Cartagena, Manzanillo (Mexico), Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Oakland, Los Angeles, Manzanillo (Mexico), Manzanillo (Panama), Cartagena, Caucedo, Tangier, Valencia, Cagliari, Livorno, Genoa, Marseilles-Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Tangier and back to Cartagena.
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Source: Port of Portland, March 9, 2012; Image: HHM