In an online chat where he answered queries from the public, Leone said “there are shorter transit times to Boston from Southeast Asia, which is a critical market for New England shippers.” For exporters he said the service would offer a transit time of a little over 30 days between Boston and Hong Kong.
Leone expects expansion of the Panama Canal in 2014 will result in larger vessels with capacities of up to 12,000 TEUs transiting the Panama Canal.
He said he expects this will likely result in large feeder vessels (6,000-8,000 TEUs) originating from a Caribbean transshipment hub or U.S. South Atlantic port and calling U.S. East Coast ports.
“We are investing millions in cranes, terminal capacity, and dredging to handle these larger vessels,” he said.
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Boston is the transportation hub of New England, he said, and he pointed to coordinated efforts by ports in Canada and New England to provide an attractive itinerary for cruise ships.
Leone said short sea shipping would benefit everyone by reducing truck traffic and emissions, but “needs to work economically for the trade community.” He noted American Feeder Lines, which has started a service connecting Boston, Portland, Maine and Halifax, is developing a comprehensive short sea program from Maine to the Gulf Coast.
In another comment related to air pollution, he noted Massport has installed shore power at the Boston Fish Pier and expects to see a 95 percent reduction in diesel emissions as a result and helped attract more fishing vessels.
“We are currently in the process of evaluating shore power at all of our other port facilities,” he said.
