Matson to start biweekly service to Micronesia and Marshall Islands

Matson to start biweekly service to Micronesia and Marshall Islands    Matson Navigation Co. on Monday said it is upgrading its service to eastern Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) effective Aug. 4 by introducing a new biweekly liner service from Guam.
   Matson is chartering a 425-foot vessel for the new feeder service, which will call Ebeye, Kwajalein, Majuro, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk. The Jones Act carrier has offered a monthly service to the Marshall Islands from Honolulu via the container barge Islander and a 21-day service from Guam to Kosrae, Pohnpei and Chuuk via a connecting carrier agreement. The improved frequency of service will allow these island businesses to diversify their product line while concurrently saving inventory costs, Matson said in a statement.
   The shift of Matson’s Marshall Island operations from Honolulu to Guam will further increase the amount of transshipment activity in Guam, making it a dynamic hub in the Pacific and facilitating the economic growth of the islands, the carrier added. Matson will continue to offer weekly service via connecting carrier agreements to Yap, Palau, Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
   The chartered vessel to be assigned to the service, the 'Cerrina,' has a capacity of 650 TEUs and is equipped with two onboard cranes. The ship will be renamed 'Islander' before the service starts up in August.