MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, a prominent ocean carrier, has merged two existing container services to enhance connectivity between the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) and the West Coast of South America.
This integration has led to direct port calls, offering new weekly links between Jacksonville and ports in Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Costa Rica.
“These new connections are another significant step in our strategy to diversify our trade lanes and serve global markets,” stated Robert Peek, Chief Commercial Officer at JAXPORT.
The revamped service, known as the Ecuador-NWC and Scan Baltic-USA rotation, combines MSC’s Scan Baltic to USA service, which already included JAXPORT, with its Ecuador to NWC service. Notably, this rotation marks JAXPORT’s sole direct container service with the West Coast of South America.
Robert Peek further added, “The new Ecuador-NWC and Scan Baltic-USA rotation expands our reach by offering direct service to new ports, enhancing our customers’ abilities to move cargo efficiently around the world.”
As part of this enhancement, MSC has upgraded the vessels used in the service to larger 9,000-TEU capacity ships. The service commenced operations at Jacksonville in February 2024 with the inaugural call of the MSC Vita.
The new port rotation is Klaipėda, Lithuania > Gdynia, Poland > Gothenburg, Sweden > Bremerhaven, Germany > Antwerp, Belgium > Felixstowe, United Kingdom > Le Havre, France > Boston, USA > New York, USA > Philadelphia, USA > Norfolk, USA > Jacksonville, USA > Freeport, The Bahamas > Panama Canal > Rodman, Panama > Guayaquil and Puerto Bolívar in Ecuador, Paita, Peru > Panama Canal > Cristóbal, Panama > Moín, Costa Rica > Antwerp, Belgium > Rotterdam, Netherlands > and Bremerhaven, Germany.
The Ecuador-NWC and Scan Baltic-USA service is well-suited for transporting a diverse range of goods, including refrigerated cargo, food items, apparel, and various retail products.
Furthermore, MSC provides a total of five consistent container services at JAXPORT. Alongside the Ecuador-NWC and Scan Baltic-USA route, the ocean carrier offers services linking Jacksonville with Asia, North America, the Caribbean, and Central America.