MSC starting Central America service

MSC starting Central America service Mediterranean Shipping Co. is starting a weekly Central American service that will connect to all U.S. ports served by the Geneva, Switzerland-based carrier, apart from Long Beach and Boston, via its hub facility in Freeport, Bahamas.
   Starting this week, MSC will use one 886-TEU container vessel between Freeport and Santo Tomas de Castillo in Guatemala and Puerto Cortes in Honduras. In addition, MSC will offer inland and on-carriage services to El Salvador and Nicaragua via these ports.
   Southbound sailings from Charleston, S.C.; Port Everglades, Fla.; New Orleans; Houston; New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Norfolk, Va.; Savannah, Ga.; and Jacksonville, Fla. will connect to the service in Freeport.
   'The company already has significant service commitments in South America with our ongoing services to both the East and West coasts. By adding Central America, MSC extends its reach to cover the entire continent,' said Allen Clifford, executive vice president, commercial at MSC (USA).
   'Historically, MSC always does its homework before committing its ships, equipment and people to a particular service route, and Central America is no exception,' Clifford added.