Hapag Lloyd has temporarily rerouted a European-U.S. container service through the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT).
The change is part of an effort to “optimize our service portfolio, stabilize schedules and adapt to market needs,” according to the shipping and container transportation company.
Hapag Lloyd’s Atlantic Loop 3 rotation temporarily removed the port of Savannah from its rotation and will begin calling JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal with the arrival of the container ship Hudson Express in mid-November.
The service call will last for at least eight weeks and bring an estimated 1,000 additional containers a week through JAXPORT.
“During this time of unprecedented port disruption, Jacksonville’s efficiencies on both the landside and waterside continue to make us stand out in the industry,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “With our strategic location — and the efficiencies of our labor, terminal operators, facilities and transportation network — there’s no question Jacksonville is an extremely attractive option for ocean carriers and shippers looking to take advantage of the ease of doing business Jacksonville offers.”
Jacksonville has no container vessels waiting at anchorage and offers shippers two-way river traffic to transit to and from berths.
Major infrastructure investments are under way to prepare JAXPORT for continued growth, including more than $200 million in berth and terminal enhancements at the port’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.
The federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet through Blount Island is anticipated to be completed in 2022.
