News Article
NEWS ARTICLE
Mediterranean Shipping Company consolidates on Port of Tauranga
Posted on 29th August 2011
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world's second largest container shipping line, has today announced plans to commence a new Oceania Express Service with the Port of Tauranga as it's only New Zealand port call. (Oceania Express port rotation will be: Melbourne - Sydney - Brisbane - Tauranga - Balboa - Long Beach - Melbourne).
MSC's National Operations Director Mark Godfrey says: "MSC has recognised the Port of Tauranga as a major New Zealand hub, and we plan to trans-ship cargo from six other New Zealand ports utilising our three other services currently operating in New Zealand (Capricorn, Kiwi and Pacific Island services).
Port of Tauranga Chief Executive Mark Cairns said MSC's announcement is fantastic news. "We are delighted that MSC have chosen Tauranga as their New Zealand hub port and this announcement provides another tangible example of the structural change that is occurring in the New Zealand Port sector.
We are undertaking significant capital expenditure at the container terminal over the next few years to ensure that we continue to provide our customers with world class levels of productivity."
MSC's Oceania Express service will commence in October and along with the five other new services recently announced we now forecast container volumes to increase by approximately 20-25%, compared to year ended June 2011, with approximately 40% of this increase being attributed to trans-shipped cargo.
Oceania Express Service
For further details, contact:
Mark Cairns
Chief Executive
Port of Tauranga Limited
Ph: 07 572 8829
021 978887
www.port-tauranga.co.nz/media-room
[1] Transhipment is where cargo is transferred between connecting vessels at the container terminal.