Charleston, SC Economic Development

Port to get boost from increased shipping service calls

May 9, 2008
Charleston Regional Business Journal
By Dan McCue
The Port of Charleston anticipates a boost in business this month, thanks to new or returning port calls by an upgraded South America service and a relaunched Asian service.

On May 21, Charleston will see the return of a weekly all-water service from Asia that was suspended in December because of the market slump.

The service is a joint operation of the CKYH alliance, which consists of Cosco, K-Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping. Eight vessels with an average capacity equivalent to 4,014 20-foot containers will be deployed on the service.

Port coverage includes Xiamen, Yantian, Ningbo and Shanghai, China; and Busan Metropolitan City, South Korea.

Hanjin Shipping, K-Line and Yang Ming are also joining CSAV Norasia to introduce a new service that will provide additional capacity from the East Coast of South America to the U.S. East Coast.

The service will deploy five ships with an average capacity equivalent to 2,500 20-foot containers traveling between North and South America. The service replaces the existing service, which was operated by Hanjin, K-Line, Yang Ming and Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd. and employed four vessels with an average capacity equivalent to 1,800 20-foot containers.

The service offers calls in Sao Francisco do Sul, Santos and Salvador, Brazil; Puerto Cabello, Venezuela; and Rio de Janeiro. Charleston is the last U.S. port outbound, and the service is expected to be a boon to exporters seeking quick transit times to South American markets.
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