The South China East Coast Express 2 (SCE2) service, a joint service operated by the Grand Alliance carriers of Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL and NYK Line, along with ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and Hyundai Merchant Marine, will launch on May 12 from Pusan, South Korea. The carriers will add weekly capacity of approximately 4,200 20-foot-equivalent units (TEU) to the trade, expanding business opportunities for the hundreds of South Carolina companies that rely on international trade.
International ports of call on the service are Pusan, South Korea; Shanghai, Xiamen, Da Chan Bay, Hong Kong and Yantian, China; Manzanillo, Mexico; and Kingston, Jamaica. “Charleston offers efficient access to a healthy, growing base for both import and export cargo,” said Paul McClintock, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for the South Carolina State Ports Authority. “On the export side, Charleston is an ideal gateway for the export-rich Southeast, and this service links shippers across the region to another growing consumer market – China.”
Exports from South Carolina to North Asia continue to demonstrate strong growth. The Southeast U.S. is an expanding consumer base for import goods and continues to grow in population. Over the past 10 years, population growth in the South outpaced any other U.S. region at 14.3 percent, according to 2010 Census figures. The SCE2 will call North Charleston Terminal, adding 52 ship calls a year and boosting economic impacts and jobs across the local maritime community.