Hapag-Lloyd’s Rerouted Container Service Makes First Call at JAXPORT

Hapag-Lloyd’s European-US container service made its inaugural visit to the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) over the weekend.

The shipping line’s Atlantic Loop 3 (AL3) is calling JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point for at least the next eight weeks to avoid congestion at the Port of Savannah.

JAXPORT representatives presented a maiden voyage plaque to the crew of the container ship Hudson Express during its visit to JAXPORT.

“With no vessels waiting at anchorage and two-way ship traffic to and from berths, Hudson Express was able to berth and begin working immediately upon its arrival in Jacksonville,” JAXPORT said in a statement.

The temporary addition of the AL3 bring an estimated 8,000 additional TEUs (containers) through the port over the next two months, or about 1,000 TEUs per week. The service calls Antwerp, Belgium; Hamburg, Germany; London; Charleston; Jacksonville (skipping Savannah); and Norfolk.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been actively promoting his state’s ports as alternatives to some of the nation’s top container ports that have been bogged down with ship bottlenecks and congestion, but some question whether Florida ports have the capability of moving the needle enough to “save Christmas,” as some politicians claim, amid surging imports. JAXPORT in October announced it would be offering incentives to any company that chooses to bring its business there.

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