Port of Wilmington adds service to Germany, England and France

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY ) — A partnership between the Port of Wilmington, Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk Line will provide unprecedented access between Wilmington and Bremerhaven, Germany, Felixstowe, England, and Le Harve, France, according to a news release.

“An optimized transatlantic trade network allows us to align our services with North Carolina’s business needs,” said Executive Director Paul J. Cozza. “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.”

As part of its ongoing infrastructure investment plan, North Carolina Ports recently announced the order of two New Panamax ship-to-shore cranes with an option to purchase two more from designer Shanghai Zhenjua Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. Between the new cranes, turning basin expansion project, various berth improvements, and the expansion of the container yard, North Carolina Ports says it will pump over $120 million into its infrastructure over the next few years.

According to a news release, these investments have led, in part, to recent service additions at the Port of Wilmington. The TA2/NEUATL2 service rotation includes port calls in Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, Antwerp and Le Havre in Europe. The transatlantic network touts market leading transit times to the U.S. East Coast and will begin calling the Port of Wilmington in April.

“This service opens up capacity for supplementary imports and exports from markets in Northern Europe,” said Chief Commercial Officer Greg Fennell. “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.”