The Massachusetts Port Authority is Full Steam Ahead Adding another Cargo Service

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) today announced that a new weekly cargo service connecting Boston with Halifax, Nova Scotia is set to begin June 14 giving New England businesses a reliable and efficient connection to 20 major steamship lines. The “New England-Halifax Shuttle” to be operated by American Feeder Lines (AFL), will call Conley Container Terminal every Tuesday. This is the second new service to launch at the Massport facility in less than a month.

On May 27, a weekly Southeast Asia service via the Suez Canal began at Conley Terminal adding new direct destinations for New England shippers including Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is estimated that as many as 400 local and regional jobs will be created over time as a result of the two new services.

“The New England-Halifax Shuttle is great news for Boston providing New England shippers with a vital connection to Eastern Canada’s main trans-shipment hub,” said Mike Leone, Port Director for the Massachusetts Port Authority. “The commencement of the new service also demonstrates that the $70 million Massport has invested in terminal infrastructure over the last few years has dramatically improved our efficiency and competiveness.”

In addition to Boston, the New England-Halifax Shuttle will call Portland, Maine linking them both with Halifax’s South End and Fairview Cove container terminals. This is the first of many services that AFL hopes to implement as part of a planned marine highway connecting ports along the East and Gulf Coasts with an all-water link. As container lines put larger ships into service, AFL’s coastwise network would allow these vessels to unload their cargo onto feeder ships destined for smaller ports. The initiative aims to increase efficiency, help reduce road congestion and be more environmentally-friendly.

“I am pleased to announce our new shuttle service that will expand New England’s worldwide trade connections through the Port of Boston,” said Rudy Mack, COO, American Feeder Lines. “The investments Massport has made to modernize its container terminal greatly contribute to our goal to provide importers and exporters with reliable, cost-effective global access between Boston and the two Halifax terminals.”

With the addition of the New England-Halifax Shuttle, the Port of Boston is now called by five direct services. The others include:

• Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) calls weekly with a North European service to the ports of Bremerhaven, Germany; Felixstowe, UK; Antwerp, Belgium; and Le Havre, France.
• Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) also offers a weekly Mediterranean service which connects to the ports of Naples and La Spezia, Italy; Valencia, Spain; and Sines, Portugal.
• China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), and its partners, “K” Line of Japan, Yang Ming Marine Transport, and Hanjin Shipping, operate a North China service, which provides weekly service to the Chinese ports of Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, and Yokohama.
• China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), and its partners, Yang Ming Marine Transport, Hanjin Shipping, and Hyundai Merchant Marine operate a new weekly Southeast Asia service, calling ports in Hong Kong; Yantian, China; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Cai Mep, Vietnam; and Singapore.

The Port of Boston is a vital economic engine for New England, and container activity at Conley Terminal is likely to grow as an increasing number of larger ships head toward East Coast ports through the Suez Canal and from the Panama Canal once its expansion is complete. To keep pace with this future demand Massport is investing millions in the container terminal. Over the last several years more than $70 million was spent to upgrade and expand the yard configuration. New machinery was added, and Massport purchased an adjacent 30-acre parcel of land for future container operations. Recently, an enhanced computerized terminal operating system was implemented, and plans are also underway for a dedicated truck route and terminal buffer.

Massport’s cruise, cargo, and other maritime operations enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in the region by supporting more than 27,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributing nearly $450 million in annual economic impact to the region by supporting more than 27,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributing nearly $450 million in annual economic impact. It is estimated that with the expected cargo volume increases over the next decade Massport-generated jobs will grow to more than 50,000 by 2025. The Port of Boston’s overall activity supports 34,000 jobs, and contributes more than $2 billion to the local, regional, and national economies.