WILMINGTON: The Port of Wilmington is adding an additional container ship service that would connect southeastern North Carolina to some of the largest ports in Europe, officials announced Thursday. The service will feature ships from Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk Line and should start in April. It connects with some of the busiest ports in France, Germany, England, and Belgium. “An optimized transatlantic trade network allows us to align our services with North Carolina’s business needs,” Executive Director Paul J. Cozza said in a statement. “As we continue to invest in our facilities we’ll see even more activity at our Port of Wilmington, thus furthering our economic contribution to the state.” This new service is the latest for the Port of Wilmington. Back in October, officials announced a new container service connecting the port to Asia through the Panama Canal.
“This service opens up capacity for supplementary imports and exports from markets in Northern Europe,” said Greg Fennell, chief commercial officer. “To have the top two container carriers in the world come together and provide service options for us on the transatlantic and transpacific side is pretty special.” The added container service comes on the heels of a multi-million dollar expansion at the Port of Wilmington to help accommodate larger container ships. The port ordered two new Panamax cranes, widened the port’s turning basin, made various berth improvements, and expanded the container yard. The improvements totaled about $120 million.
