CMA CGM is adding the Port of Charleston to its Pacific Express 3 (PEX 3) weekly service.
The French carrier has deployed 11 vessels of between 4,400 and 5,100 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity in the service. The first ship in the service to call Charleston, the 5,095-TEU CMA CGM Florida, is scheduled to call North Charleston Terminal in mid-April.
"As a longtime and loyal client of the South Carolina Ports Authority, CMA CGM is pleased and excited to announce the addition of the Port of Charleston to the new rotation," said Frank Baragona, president of CMA CGM (America) LLC. "The new call in Charleston will be beneficial for all key stakeholders in creating new service options for our clients, generating volume for the port as well as having a positive impact on the Lowcountry economy and jobs. We look forward to working closely with the SCPA and all of the local vendors in delivering a high-quality, cost-competitive service for our customers."
Significantly, Charleston is the last U.S. port outbound on the service, highlighting the port's strategic role for exports to growing consumption markets in Asia. Ports in the rotation include Hong Kong, Chiwan, Ningbo and Shanghai, China; Busan, South Korea; and Punta Manzanillo, Panama.
The service will add 52 ship calls each year, supporting jobs across the local maritime and logistics industries.