Seattle dedicates terminal for China Shipping

Seattle dedicates terminal for China Shipping    Vessels from China Shipping Container Line and Matson Line are expected to begin calling at Terminal 30 in Seattle next month.
   'Our relationship with the Port of Seattle has been strong and productive for many years,' said China Shipping President Li Shaode in a ceremony this month. 'We are pleased to be opening this new facility, which represents a strong commitment to the region for years to come.'
   The terminal is used by China Shipping’s ANW1 service, which employs five 4,250 TEU ships in a rotation of Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Pusan, Seattle, Vancouver and Nansha.
   The terminal, dedicated in a ceremony earlier this month, was described by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as “another step in bringing our two nations closer together, a step that will ultimately improve the quality of life for both peoples.”
   Locke, governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, joined officials in dedicating the 70-acre terminal, which will be operated by China Shipping, Matson and SSA Marine.
   The port invested about $50 million in the terminal, which has two containership berths and six cranes. It has total capacity of 400,000 containers and can accommodate ships drawing 50 feet of water.
   The terminal is being returned to use as a cargo-handling facility. For several years the facility was used for the port's cruise business.    Earlier this month, the port opened a new cruise facility, Smith Cove Terminal, at Pier 91.
   Jon Hemingway, chief executive officer of SSA, said the new terminal was “a new world-class terminal for the Port of Seattle, a 30-year home for China Shipping's Pacific Northwest operations and the generation for more family wage jobs for our workforce. This project once again demonstrates the competitiveness of Seattle as a gateway for containerized cargo.'