BRUSSELS: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority reports that international shipping tonnage is up 37% for the first half of 2015 compared with the like period of 2014.
More importantly, container shipping on the Cleveland-Europe Express (CEE) liner service operated by the Dutch Spliethoff Group is up over 300%.
“Last year, the CEE attracted mostly break-bulk cargo, but this year we are making significant inroads to the containerized cargo market,” said Port Authority president and CEO Will Friedman in a news release. “This is further proof that the service is a winner and here to stay.”
Break-bulk is the term for general cargo not in containers that is unloaded piece by piece. Until last year, irregularly scheduled break-bulk shipping was the staple of the underused local port.
The European cargo service, between Cleveland and Antwerp, Belgium, is an entrepreneurial venture for the port authority designed to boost shipping activity. The service, on a once-a-month schedule last year, is on a twice a month schedule this year because of increased demand.
The European service collected $7 million in freight revenue, and the Port Authority paid a $3.7 million subsidy to cover Spliethoff’s costs in 2014. It is projecting a $1.6 million subsidy for the 2015 shipping season.
It’s an attempt by the Port Authority to demonstrate to domestic and European manufacturers and retailers the opportunity for cost and time advantages of bypassing East Coast ports for cargo originating in or destined for the Midwest, especially for auto parts and retail products shipped in containers.
