Florida
King Ocean Services, in partnership with Betty K Agency, has launched a new service from Port Everglades to Nassau. The service will offer twice-weekly Lo-Lo sailings for both FCL and LCL shipments.
As part of the new agreement, King Ocean Services will act as Betty K’s US agency and commercial representation. King Ocean will also be responsible for managing Betty K’s South Florida operations, including terminal, warehousing, and trucking.
Betty K, a family-owned Bahamian business, has been providing shipping services from South Florida to Nassau for generations. As part of the agreement, Betty K will continue operating its long-standing Nassau organization, Betty K Agencies Ltd, and will continue serving The Bahamas market commercially and logistically.
Guadeloupe
The 60-meter-length high-speed catamaran Ruby Express, with a capacity for 428 passengers, has entered service for Pointe-à-Pitre-based L'Express des Îles. The Ruby Express is the company’s fourth vessel.
The arrival in July of the new vessel comes just a few months after the integration of L'Express des Îles within FRS GROUP and marks a new era for the company FRS Express des Iles. The vessel will serve routes including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante as well as Dominica and St Lucia.
Panama
Global bunker supplier Monjasa has added the 19,991 dwt Monjasa Thunder to its Panama Canal operations.
“We are always looking for ways to challenge the status quo and create more flexibility for shipowners in and around the Panama Canal – and combining bunkering, storage and cargo operations is something no one else has done before,” says Rasmus Jacobsen managing director, Monjasa Americas. With close to 20,000 tonnes of storage capacity and high technical specifications in terms of deep-well cargo pumps and multiple tank segregations, Monjasa Thunder is seen as an ideal floating storage option – the first of its kind in Panama.
At the same time, Monjasa Thunder brings new opportunities for the supplier by also engaging in cargo import and export across Panama and surrounding markets.
Bonaire
Gulf Shipping & Logistics and Bonaire-headquartered Don Andres NV have joined forces to offer an exclusive, direct two-day service from Trinidad to Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. This new fast service brings the ABC Islands and Trinidad closer together Don Andres has built a strong legacy of serving the ABC islands, providing essential goods and services to supermarkets, stores, restaurants, dive shops, construction companies, and auto dealers.
Barbados
The Shipping Association of Barbados (SAB) has a new Committee of Management, including a new chairman and a new board.
Former CSA president and former Barbados Port Inc chairman David Harding is the new SAB president with current CSA president Marc Sampson as vice SAB vice president. The rest of the Committee comprises SAB immediate past president Erica Luke (see CM issue 42) with Calvin Atkins and Wendy Layne as Trustees and Anthony Ali, Kevyn Yearwood and Christina Farias-Suárez as Members.
Trinidad and Tobago
The board of directors, management and staff at Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Co (PLIPDECO) extended heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the economist Neil Rolingson who served as PLIPDECO's CEO from 1991 to 2004 and passed away on 18 July.
Guatemala
The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor 006, located in the Río Las Vacas, around 16 km north of Guatemala City has been busy this year with well over 1,000 truckloads of trash being collected. The Río Las Vacas is a tributary of the Río Motagua – one of Guatemala’s main waterways and a significant contributor to plastic emissions into the Gulf of Honduras and the Caribbean Sea.
Dom Rep /Jamaica
Delegates of the Port Authority of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which highlighted the intention of both parties to share information regarding their cargo and cruise industries, plans for port development, training programmes and processes related to health, safety, efficiency and quality in maritime operations in their respective countries.
As a part of the MOU, working groups will also be established with the possibility of joint development training seminars and exchange activities. The MOU will remain in force for a period of two (2) years.
Guadeloupe
Niche French carrier Marfret recently organized onboard its new ro-ro vessel Ferrymar, berthed at the Quai des Grands Cargos in Fort-de-France, Martinique an event to bring together businesses from both Martinique and Guadeloupe offering them a showcase to present their know-how to buyers and distributors across the Caribbean market.
This unique meeting was aimed at stimulating new ideas and opportunities for collaboration between the two islands. Marfret aspires to promote regional economic integration for the benefit of the Caribbean territories. The FERRY FORUM is a continuation of its Ferrymar service, launched in 2000, which establishes a real maritime bridge between the sister French islands.
Colombia
According to the World Bank and S&P Global's 2023 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), Grupo Puerto de Cartagena was recognized as the third most efficient port in the world.
This is the result of the commitment, effort and dedication of its work team and collaborators, managing to climb two positions in this world ranking, among 405 ports globally, surpassing ports such as Tanger Med, Morocco and Tanjun Pelepas, Malaysia.
Colombia Maersk is expanding its logistics presence in Colombia with a new 44,000 m² container logistics center in Tocancipá, near Bogotá. This state-of-the-art facility includes a warehouse, an extensive container storage area, and a refrigerated container storage area with connectivity for 50 containers.
Florida
Florida International Terminal (FIT), one of SAAM Terminals port terminal, has successfully renewed its lease agreement at Port Everglades for another 10 years, after authorization by the Broward County Commission and Port Everglades.
FIT's CEO, Justin P. Weir, appreciated the approval "our entire team has been working on this goal for over two years and we have been preparing the terminal with investments to continue positioning FIT as one of the leading cargo terminals in South Florida, with the best service to customers in the region”.
As part of the agreement, which runs until 2035, FIT plans to invest US$25 million in the container terminal in the next 24 months.
“FIT has been a great partner in helping to improve the port’s operational efficiency, and we applaud their ongoing investments to move cargo faster, advance green initiatives and contribute to our local economy,” said Glenn Wiltshire, Acting Port Director of Port Everglades.
In the last year, FIT has added new services to its operation and as it continues to serve the North-South trade lanes into the US from Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
FIT is one of the ten ports operated by SAAM Terminals in the Americas. The terminal is connected to major highways and railroads, facilitating quick, fluid access to ground and intermodal transportation and expanding the area of influence. Last year the terminal handled 296,000 TEUs and 2.5 million tons of cargo across its four berths.
Florida
Joseph Morris has been confirmed by Broward County Government as Port Director. Morris was previously Port Director for the Massachusetts Port Authority and replaces Jonathan Daniels (see CM issue 48) who left in February this year for a new role as Executive Director of Maryland Port Administration and the Port of Baltimore.
“As one of the leading economic engines in Broward County, it is essential that we continue to have a strong leader at the helm of Port Everglades. Joe was selected after an exhaustive national search that included input from a variety of port stakeholders. Joe is a visionary who brings vast international experience and understands the vital economic role that a seaport plays in a community,” said Broward County Administrator Monica Cepero.
Antigua
Antigua Cruise Port (ACP) is set to embark on the second phase of a transformative US$45 million investment project led by Global Ports Holding Plc (GPH), the world’s largest cruise port operator. Established in 2004, GPH operates 32 cruise ports in 19 countries, serving 20 million passengers annually across the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Asia-Pacific regions. In 2019, Global Ports Holding signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Government of Antigua & Barbuda to redevelop, modernise, and manage the cruise port complex at St John’s and Falmouth Harbour.
St John’s, which welcomed 372 ship calls in 2023 and is on target to top 410 calls this year, will add a new cruise terminal and an exclusive passenger day club to the site.
The second phase of the project will generate more business for the local community, enhance the passenger experience, and create a new sense of excitement about Antigua & Barbuda as a premium cruise destination, helping to boost the local economy and community.
The new terminal, which will span 6,500 square feet (603 square meters) at the fifth berth. This terminal will be used for homeporting, with designated pick-up and drop-off areas for guests moving to and from the airport.
In March 2024, the port made history by welcoming five cruise ships into St John’s and a sixth ship into Falmouth Harbour.
Seaboard Seaboard Marine has invested in 1,000 Star Cool Integrated Reefers from Maersk Container Industry (MCI), including advanced Star Cool CA technology. This step enhances our fleet's efficiency and aligns with its sustainability goals. With real-time monitoring from MCI's Sekstant, Seaboard is able to fully optimize supply chain logistics.
Puerto Rico The Ponce Port Authority received the second largest cruise ship in the world Utopia of the Seas. The call was a collaborative effort between the Port, Ponce Municipality, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) and local businesses including Continental Shipping and Caribe Tours to make the visit productive and fruitful.
Colombia UK small ship specialist Noble Caledonia becoming only the second operator to make a cruise call La Guajira, a Colombian department close to the border with Venezuela. Carrying just 100 passengers, Noble Caledonia’s Island Sky berthed at Cabo de la Vela, allowing passengers to explore La Guajira’s natural beauty and cultural richness.
Florida
SeaPort Manatee will bring extra capacity to container and general cargo handling at its operations in Tampa Bay, with two Konecranes Gottwald ESP.7 Mobile Harbor Cranes. After it ordered the first crane in Q1 2024, the port quickly decided to take a second optional crane at the beginning of Q2 to keep up with fast-growing demand. Both cranes will be delivered by the end of the year.
Jamaica
The German Ship Repair Jamaica (GSRY) and the HEART/NSTA Trust – Jamaica’s leading human capital development agency – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This partnership aims to enhance youth development in Jamaica by providing apprenticeship opportunities, integrating trainees into real work environments to develop critical employability skills. It also focuses on developing and delivering training programs, continuing education, and professional development courses tailored to industry needs. Additionally, the MOU will facilitate staff and instructor development through “train-the-trainer” programs, mutual resource sharing, and public education initiatives. Both parties will explore job placement opportunities for trainees, further strengthening workforce development. Signatories were Colonel Martin Rickman, CEO of GSRJ, and Dr Taneisha Ingleton, Managing Director of the HEART/NSTA Trust.
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