The page is accessed via a button on the lower left-hand side of www.portofvirginia.com titled East Coast Labor Action. The page was due to go live on Thursday, September 20 and is focused on helping to answer questions and provide the most current local information on the labor action as the Oct. 1 walk-out deadline nears.

“We know both sides are at the table searching for a mutually-beneficial agreement and we hope that they get there soon and any possible labor action avoided,” said Joe D. Harris, the VPA’s spokesman.

ZIM is pleased to announce the upgrade of the North-South America service (XNS). The new improved weekly service, a joint venture with MSC, will deploy larger vessels of 6000 TEU’s, and is due commence September 22nd in the following rotation:

Norfolk – New York – Baltimore – Savannah –  Freeport – Caucedo – Rio De Janeiro – Santos – Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Rio Grande – Navegantes – Santos – Rio De Janeiro – Salvador – Suape – Caucedo – Kingston – Freeport – Norfolk.

Some of the advantages offered by the new upgraded XNS service are:

·         Direct connection between the River Plate and the Caribbean regions, via Kingston and Caucedo, offering excellent coverage as well as fast transit times.

·         Improved transit times between the US East Coast, Rio de Janeiro and Santos, for both imports and exports (provided by a double call in both ports).

·         Access to the Brazilian export market in Suape and Salvador with better connectivity to the Caribbean via Kingston and Caucedo, as well as to the US East Coast with a direct call.

·         Vittoria, Brazil, is served via Rio de Janeiro with improved transit times.

·         The service is synchronized with the Gulf feeder, and will offer faster transit times with excellent connectivity between South American and all US Gulf and Mexican ports.

·         Increased allocation for cargo to all ports.

The new upgraded XNS service will expand the scope of our services in the region and enhance the connectivity of the South America trade to ZIM’s global network. The new realignment is part of ZIM’s strategy to further invest in the South American trade, responding to market needs and providing ever improving services to our customers.

The cranes will be delivered to MPS Container Terminal in Tema, Ghana and Benin Container Terminal in Cotonou, Benin. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the orders.

“This contract is a result of a long term relationship”, says Antoine Bosquet, Konecranes’ Sales Director, Port Cranes, region WEMEA. “Konecranes has already delivered 26 RTG cranes to Container Terminals operated by Bolloré Africa Logistics, the leading, private concessions operator in Africa. After the delivery to Tema and Cotonou, Konecranes will proudly have a fleet of 67 Konecranes RTGs in operation in West Africa.”

The RTG cranes will be equipped with the new Konecranes award winning cabin offering improved ergonomics, visibility and safety. They will also contain various advanced Konecranes technologies like e.g. the Autosteering feature keeping the crane on a pre-programmed, straight driving path, and the Variable Speed Engine and Fuel Saver technology. All these features help improving safety of operation and increase productivity.

In addition the RTG container positioning system is connected to the ports’ terminal operating system ensuring correct, real-time container positioning and an accurate inventory. The RTG cranes are equipped with remote access technology, enabling remote diagnostics and the related in-depth expertise and maintenance services.

The all-electric, 16-wheel RTGs have a lifting capacity of 40 tons stacking 1-over-5 containers high and 7 plus truck lane wide.

Hamburg Sud will provide the service through a space charter agreement with Hapag-Lloyd. The service will connect New Orleans with Caucedo, Dominican Republic; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Rio Grande, Mexico; and Suape, Santos, Navegantes and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Hamburg Sud is among the world’s top 20 container lines and we are thrilled they are now calling on the Port of New Orleans,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “This new service will allow our customers better access and more frequent service to Latin American markets, which is a focus of our marketing efforts. We hope our relationship with Hamburg Sud will be a long and prosperous one.”

Ports America will handle the new service at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal. Hamburg Sud also provides service from New Orleans to the Western Mediterranean through a sharing agreement with Hapag-Lloyd’s weekly MMGX service.

Since its formation in 1871, Hamburg Sud has evolved from a conventional shipping company into a globally operating transport logistics operation and today is among the world’s largest container shipping lines and is one of the leading providers in the North-South trade lanes.

And the Port of New Orleans’ container operations are bustling, growing nearly 50 percent in the last two years. Other carriers calling on the Port’s Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal are Mediterranean Shipping Company, CMA CGM, Maersk, ZIM, Seaboard Marine, CSAV, Libra, and Hapag-Lloyd.