Sallaum Lines calling Wilmington, North Carolina

   The North Carolina Ports Authority said Wednesday that Sallaum Lines is including calls in Wilmington, N.C. as part of its regular roll-on, roll-off service between the U.S. East Coast and West Africa.
   The Imola Express began loading at the Port of Wilmington Wednesday for its third call. The ship will be used to carry automobiles, construction equipment and project cargo. Ports of call in West Africa include Conakry, Guinea; Lome, Togo; Cotonou, Benin and Lagos, Nigeria. A schedule on the company’s website lists Boston, Bayonne, N.J., Baltimore, and Jacksonville as ports of call in current or future voyages. The company’s ships have also called in Wilmington, Delaware on past voyages.
   Tom Eagar, chief executive officers of the ports authority said the Sallaum is expected to call Wilmington “every 40 days with the hopes of incorporating more calls as cargo flow warrants.”
   “Trade between the Port of Wilmington and West Africa has been nurtured over several decades through service to a dedicated customer in the region,” said Omar Bah, Manager, L & T General Enterprises, a Wilmington-based NVOCC that is the primary shipper out of Wilmington with Sallaum Lines. “This new service responds to demand from the broader commercial market for access to the region.”
   Sallaum said it has been shipping vehicles to West Africa since 1991. It says West Africa is the world’s largest market for used vehicles.