SeaLand to start operations this week

Maersk unit will specialize in intra-America trade.    Maersk will officially launch its SeaLand subsidiary later this week.
   The company said, as planned, SeaLand will go “live” on Jan. 1 as its dedicated intra-Americas ocean transport service provider for the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group.
   Last January, Maersk announced plans to create a new regional shipping company, similar to its MCC Transport subsidiary which focuses on the intra-Asia trades, and Seago, which operates in the intra-Europe region.
   In October, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said SeaLand will locate its corporate headquarters in the Miami suburb of Miramar and create 65 jobs.
   SeaLand will have about 25 services calling 14 countries, covering services when both origin and destination are in the United States, Canada, Latin America, or the Caribbean.
   In October, Maersk said customers moving cargo exclusively on trades outside of the Americas, namely to and from Africa, Asia, Europe or Oceania, will continue to be served by current Maersk Line representation.
   While the SeaLand website was still fairly basic Monday, the company said it’s planning to post maps of its routes later this week.
   SeaLand bears the name of what was once the largest container shipping company in the United States. Maersk acquired Sea-Land in 1999 from the railroad CSX. Sea-Land Service was created by container shipping pioneer Malcom McLean in 1960 out of his original shipping company, Pan-Atlantic Steamship Co.