News & Updates
JAXPORT Secures Singapore-Based Carrier
Governor Ron DeSantis joined seaport leaders on the docks of JAXPORT to announce that Singapore-based global ocean carrier Sea Lead Shipping Pte Ltd is bringing its first US East Coast container service to JAXPORT. Jacksonville will serve as the last port of call on Sea Lead’s Asia East Coast (AEC) rotation connecting Jacksonville, Fla., to four locations in Asia.
The service will call the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal (JCT) at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal every two weeks beginning with the arrival of the 6,661-TEU (container) ship Hakuna Matata on May 7, 2022.
Jacksonville’s uncongested berths and soon-to-be completed 47-foot deepening project were key factors in Sea Lead’s decision to choose JAXPORT.
The port rotation is Nansha, Ningbo, and Qingdao in China; Pusan, South Korea; Norfolk, VA; Newark, NJ; Charleston, SC; and Jacksonville. SSA Atlantic will provide stevedoring services at Blount Island.
“We are delighted to introduce this new service and new destinations for our customers. Port congestion has been a challenge for everyone recently and the AEC will allow us to service ports that are more efficient for our customers,” said Sea Lead Managing Director Cho Kit Wei. “We are confident that the market and our partners will respond well to the service, and we look forward to developing strong partnerships on this trade lane.”
Sea Lead currently serves one U.S. port, Long Beach, through a trans-Pacific service launched in June 2021.
“This new service, and the jobs and economic impact it brings to Jacksonville, is a direct result of the dedication and foresight of our elected officials who have invested in a deeper channel and infrastructure upgrades to enable JAXPORT to serve a wider variety of vessels,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green. “We are grateful to Sea Lead for choosing Jacksonville as a port of call on their first US East Coast service and look forward to putting our city’s efficiencies and strong transportation network to work for their customers throughout the Southeast.”