CMA CGM PEX 3 service to call Charleston

   The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) said CMA CGM is adding the Port of Charleston to its Pacific Express 3 (PEX 3) weekly service, providing an additional connection for the region’s shippers to ports across Asia.
   It said the first ship in the service to call Charleston, the 5,095-TEU CMA CGM Florida, is scheduled to call North Charleston Terminal in mid-April.
   Frank Baragona, president of CMA CGM (America), said the call will create “new service options for our clients, generating volume for the port as well as having a positive impact on the lowcountry economy and jobs.”
   Charleston will be the the last U.S. port outbound on the service.
   “Many of the Port of Charleston’s users ship high-value cargo year-round with little seasonality, and export loads are plentiful. Both of these points are very attractive to carriers when selecting a port,” said John Wheeler, vice president of carrier sales for the port authority.
   There are 11 ships in the service with the following rotation: Houston, Mobile, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston, Vostochny (Russia), Hong Kong, Chiwan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, and Manzanillo (Panama). – Chris Dupin