South East Shipping News

WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE CARIBBEAN

Caribbean countries must transform their energy systems by creating new, greener sources of power.

MASAŌ ASHTINE

Puerto Rico lost electricity again on April 18th, seven months after Hurricane Maria first knocked out the island's power grid. For people in some remote rural areas, the blackout was more of the same. Their power had yet to be restored.

The dangerous fragility of Puerto Rico's energy systems has put other Caribbeancountries on high alert. Across the region, electric grids are dated, ailing, and overburdened—making it easy work for a powerful passing storm.

Caribbean nations also rely heavily on oil and diesel imports to fuel their power plants—a dirty and expensive way to produce energy. So even before the 2017 hurricane season, Caribbean governments were trying to integrate renewable energy sources likewind and solar into their existing grids.

Now that task seems far more urgent. To move beyond fossil fuels, Caribbean countries must transform their energy systems by building in new, greener sources of power. That will also make electric grids more resilient to weather extremes because they will be decentralized—pulling from a diverse array of power sources.

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE CARIBBEAN

As an environmental scientist working in Jamaica, I recognize many reasons why the Caribbean region must upgrade its outmoded energy systems. Mitigating global climate change, of course, is a big one.

Unfortunately, I believe that climate change will also complicate the region's transition toward renewable energy. The Caribbean is comprised of island nations, which are the world's most vulnerable places when it comes to rising seas, changing weather patterns, and other effects of global warming.

The Caribbean is already seeing more weather extremes. Research suggests, for example, that northern Caribbean countries like Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas have gotten rainier over the past three decades, though historical data is limited.

Meteorologists also believe that climate change is making hurricanes more frequent and powerful over the Atlantic Ocean.

The uptick in severe weather is costly. According to the United Nations, the 2017 hurricane season cost Caribbean countries and the United States $92 billion.

WHY TRADITIONAL ENERGY SOURCES NEED TO ADAPT

As the Eastern U.S. and Caribbean brace for a potentially brutal 2018 hurricane season, policymakers are looking for fast ways to strengthen their power grids.

Installing more wind, solar, and hydropower—the world's most reliable and common renewable energy options—would seem to be a more obvious step in the right direction. Between 2015 and 2016, the global capacity of these green power sources rose 9 percent —nearly half of which comes from the widespread adoption of solar panels.

After Maria, technology companies like Tesla saw an opportunity to spotlight their products in wind, solar, and geothermal power in the Caribbean.

Tesla installed Powerwall solar-powered batteries across Puerto Rico. This technologyhas kept the lights on during blackouts at over 660 locations, though experts cautionthat such solar "microgrids" cannot serve the energy needs of an entire country.

THE PROBLEM WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

But, in a Caribbean of increasing weather extremes, these green energy systems are themselves vulnerable.

Modern wind turbines, for example, were first engineered in Europe—a region that rarely experiences Category 5 hurricanes. Wind speeds above 165 mph would tear the turbines apart.

Changing precipitation and temperature patterns in the Caribbean also affect hydro and solar power. More rain in the region's north means fewer sunny days than anticipated. Higher temperatures in other countries suggests increased likelihood of drought, leading rivers to run dry.

Climate change is a profoundly unpredictable process, though. That makes it harder for weather models to correctly identify which renewable energy infrastructure should be built where.

Computer models are inherently imperfect planners. As researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently affirmed, plugging in short-term weather data to make long-term atmospheric projections adds "irreducible elements of chaos."

Climate change, which affects various parts of the world differently, makes it even harder to accurately predict future weather scenarios. Comprehensive modeling systems that use LIDAR and other remote-sensing technologies do better, but they are too expensive for widespread adoption in the Caribbean.

THE FUTURE IS NOW

The Caribbean is making progress in planning for a future of more renewable energy, though.

Jamaica aims to install new automated weather stations that will collect real-time weather data nationwide. This initiative will help meteorologists across the entire Caribbean better predict future weather, which in turn supports the development of renewable energy systems.

So will a new climate model developed by my colleagues at the University of the West Indies. The system, called SMASH, can aid planners in siting wind farms and predicting the path and severity of the hurricanes that could mangle turbines.

A new Caribbean drought atlas from Cornell University has compiled climate data going back to 1950. The tool won't just help sustain food production during dry times; I believe it will also provide engineers precipitation data that's critical to planning hydropower enterprises.

Cutting-edge hydropower plants that run on urban wastewater may one day also address the current limitations of hydropower in the Caribbean. Many small islands lack the big rushing rivers that allow water to be a meaningful power generator.

Wind farms, too, are adapting to the instability of this changing climate. Once firmly pegged to the ground, turbines can now float thousands of feet above the land, spooled out like kites to capture winds where they blow hardest. Floating turbines will also fare better during hurricanes.

All of these technologies may eventually help Caribbean countries navigate their way through climate change toward a real renewable energy boom. But the climate change conundrum won't be solved before the 2018 hurricane season hits.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Masaō Ashtine is a lecturer in alternative energy at the University of the West Indies—Mona Campus.

With Panama Canal open CMA CGM will advance Kingston hub

A statement from CMA CGM said: “Reflecting on new possibilities, maritime companies can rethink their routes, including that from Asia to the US east coast. For example, on the journey between New York and Hong Kong, the choice to sail by Panama or Suez canal is subtle: there is just one day difference. “Until now, the canal dimensions limited the size of ships and impacted the region’s technological and commercial strategies. With the lifting of such constraints the evolution of vessels is probable, initially from 5,000 to 9,000 or to 10,000 teu or even larger. The traffic is not likely to rise, but volumes in transit will probably increase.” The line added it would now look to develop the Jamaican port of Kingston as its central hub in the region. Last year it signed a $509m deal worth with Port Authority of Jamaica that transferred ownership of its container terminals to CMA CGM on a 30-year build-operate-transfer model. This will see the terminal expanded in two phases, with capacity taken successively up to 3.2m teu and 3.6m teu, and the port’s draught deepened to 14.2 metres by the end of 2016, and then to 15.5 metres. CMA CGM has formed a special purpose vehicle to bid for the project – Kingston Freeport Terminal – comprising its remaining port business, CMA Terminals, and Terminal Link, its container terminal operating company in which China Merchants has a 49% stake. Luc Portier, CMA CGM’s director of studies, projects and development, said: “A widened canal will bring new opportunities for world trade. CMA CGM has foreseen these changes and made Kingston a strategic base: modernisation works will allow the group to operate all larger vessels sailing in the area, and make Jamaica a transhipment hub for the whole sub region.”

Crowley focuses LCL shipments to Caribbean at Houston

HOUSTON, Texas - Crowley Maritime Corporation announced today that it will begin offering weekly, fixed-day, less-than-container-load (LCL) shipping services from Houston to 33 port destinations throughout the Caribbean Basin on July 1. The new logistics service will be the only one of its kind available from the Houston gateway. This new offering is designed to further enhance supply chain options for those shipping directly into the Caribbean Basin from the West and Gulf Coasts of the U.S. “Customers will be able to drop their cargo in Houston, and with our weekly, fixed-day service, have their cargo landed virtually anywhere within the eastern and western Caribbean, and Central America,” said Mike Griglione, Crowley’s general manager of logistics in Houston. “This is just another way we are adding value to our customers’ supply chains by both increasing the velocity of those supply chains with our integrated services and reducing their total landed cost.” “No other logistics company is providing a weekly, fixed-day, LCL service like this to the Caribbean Basin from Houston,” said Ken Black, Crowley’s general manager of logistics in Miami, adding that it is just one facet to a comprehensive suite of logistics services being provided by Crowley in Houston. In addition to LCL transportation, Crowley also offers custom packing options, cargo consolidation and deconsolidation, warehousing, distribution, cross-docking, freight forwarding, import/export documentation, last-mile delivery, cargo insurance and customs brokerage services for cargo of all types and sizes. LCL cargo shipments from Houston should be booked by calling 1-800-CROWLEY, and the cargo should be consigned to Crowley Logistics, Inc. c/o Customer Name, Destination Country; 15894 Diplomatic Plaza Dr., Houston, Texas 77032. Weekly cargo cutoff is noon every Thursday to ensure prompt departure and delivery to destination.

Bye bye fax machine

When Ports Finally Ditch Fax Machines, Cargotec Plans to Profit By: Niclas Rolander | Jun 23 2016 at 03:10 AM | Ports & Terminals Finland’s Cargotec Oyj is vying for new contracts later this year to modernize ports as the equipment supplier to maritime hubs from London to Los Angeles promotes technologies rendering fax machines and even workers redundant. Cargotec is aiming to ride a wave of investment in digital communication and automation set to transform maritime trade and boost its own profits, Chief Executive Officer Mika Vehvilainen said in an interview. After joining the company from flag carrier Finnair Oyj in 2013, he said he was shocked by the rudimentary state of technology for exchanges between ports and giant cargo ships. “It’s surprisingly old-fashioned,” he said at the company’s headquarters in Helsinki. “In many cases these people are actually sending faxes to each other, or making phone calls, and they only share the information a few hours before docking.” Battered Confidence The Finnish company, which had sales last year of 3.7 billion euros ($4.2 billion), is seeking to expand further in services and software from its traditional businesses of making cargo handling equipment like cranes and forklifts. Carved out of elevator manufacturer Kone Oyj in 2005 and built up through acquisitions, Cargotec is also trying to win back investor confidence battered by past profit warnings. With just a tiny proportion of global ports now equipped with some form of automation, it expects that market to be worth almost 1.5 billion euros annually in the coming years. “We are talking to about 70 ports about automation capabilities,” Vehvilainen said. “Ultimately, all container ports in the world will be automated.” Cargotec’s port-equipment unit, Kalmar, has already taken part in about half of these types of projects in the world, and Vehvilainen expects to sign “a few” more deals in the second half of this year. For an industry that hasn’t always greeted change with open arms, the switch is slow-moving, he said. Globally, around 5 percent of the estimated 680 container terminals in operation are at least semi-automated, with around 10 new automated ones in the pipeline, according to consultancy Drewry Maritime Research. Tipping Point “The tipping point has been reached,” Daniel Schäfer, a market analyst at DS Research, said in a phone interview. The biggest container terminal operators like APM Terminals, DP World and PSA have now automated some installations, which are working reliably, so a “second wave” is expected, he said. For its part, Cargotec’s Kalmar supplied software-controlled machinery for container terminals like London Gateway port on the north bank of the River Thames and TraPac LLC’s facility in the port of Los Angeles. It raised research and development spending by almost 25 percent last year in a bid to stay ahead of competitors like China’s ZPMC, Austria’s Palfinger AG and U.S.-based Terex Corp., the world’s largest provider of unmanned container transport vehicles. Still, automation faces opposition from labor organizations seeking to protect workers from being replaced by equipment, harking back to the container revolution in the 1960s when hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost at ports around the world because the goods-packed metal boxes could be loaded onto ships by crane. Demands for automation are rising along with global trade volumes and larger ships, like Mediterranean Shipping Company’s MSC Oscar vessel which can carry up to 19,224 twenty-foot containers. Four of 10 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg have a sell rating on Cargotec, and shares are trading at about 13 times estimated earnings this year, lower than most Finnish industry peers, in part due to a series of earnings misses and profit warnings that had analysts questioning the previous management’s strategy. In October 2012, Cargotec cut profit guidance for the second time in four months due to cost overruns in terminal projects. The stock has risen 5 percent since the start of the year, giving it a market capitalization of 2.4 billion euros. “There were too many negative surprises,” Vehvilainen said. “People have long memories.” Cargotec’s three business areas including Kalmar get slightly more than 20 percent of revenues from services, far below the levels at other Nordic manufacturers like Konecranes Oyj, Metso Oyj, Atlas Copco AB and Wartsila Oyj. By 2020, Cargotec wants to get 40 percent of revenue from service and software businesses, which Vehvilainen said could provide hundreds of millions of euros in additional sales. “We have done a very poor job in the past in terms of developing our services,” he said. “That’s a sad story.”

Good signs for Caribbean Trade

Crowley, SeaFreight and Lannaman & Morris to Hold First Forum for Jamaica Growers and Exporters

By: AJOT | May 06 2016 at 07:17 AM | Breakbulk & Projects  

Kingston, Jamaica - To better serve the diverse needs of growers and exporters across Jamaica, Crowley is teaming up with subsidiary SeaFreight, and on-island shipping agent Lannaman & Morris, to hold an educational breakfast forum on Thursday, May 12 at 8:00 a.m. at Terra Nova All Suites Hotel in Kingston.

The event will feature a presentation from Christopher Prendergast, supervisor/agricultural specialist, United States Department of Agriculture Jamaica Preclearance Program, regarding procedures related to northbound shipments of agricultural goods to the U.S. Those interested in attending this free event are asked to RSVP to Stacia Nosworthy-Cunningham at 876-923-5541 or [email protected].

Additionally, representatives of Crowley companies Customized Brokers, which specializes in customs clearance of all U.S. imports; CrowleyFresh, which offers cold-chain storage and logistics; and SeaFreight, which offers scalable liner and logistics solutions in the Caribbean and Central America, will be on-hand to discuss the full complement of the company’s complete supply chain solutions.

“We at Crowley are uniquely positioned to add value to our customers’ supply chains by both increasing the velocity of those supply chains with our integrated services, and in doing so, reducing their total landed cost,” said Mark Kearns, director, logistics operations. “This forum in Jamaica and other discussions like it, with both current and potential customers, is all about that proven value proposition.”

Crowley Maritime Acquires SeaFreight Agencies - Deal Expands Company’s Liner and Logistics Footprint in Caribbean Basin

11/02/2015 09:00 am (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.; Nov. 2, 2015) – Crowley Maritime Corporation’s liner services and logistics groups completed a purchase sale agreement today to acquire Miami-based SeaFreight Line, SeaFreight Agencies, and SeaPack, liner and logistics companies that serve the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. “This acquisition represents a great opportunity for Crowley to grow its footprint and capabilities in the Caribbean Basin,” said Steve Collar, Crowley senior vice president and general manager, international liner services. “SeaFreight offers about a 50-50 mix of markets that Crowley is currently in, as well as markets in which Crowley doesn’t currently participate. Bringing the company into the Crowley fold will allow us to better utilize assets in our current markets and to grow into new markets.” “Like Crowley, SeaFreight is a privately-held company with a high-integrity, high-performance culture,” Collar continued. “We look forward to working together with SeaFreight’s customers and employees in a deliberate and thoughtful manner to set our path for future growth and success. SeaFreight’s strong business model fits perfectly with Crowley’s strategic growth plans.” SeaFreight President Roland Malins-Smith said, “Many of us recognize that our industry is undergoing fundamental change which emphasizes the importance of scale and the wisdom of consolidation. In executing our agreement with Crowley, SeaFreight has chosen to work with a like-minded group which shares our commitment to service excellence, integrity and focus on the wider Caribbean. We believe that this move is in the best interest of our customers and our employees.” The newly combined services will provide its customers comprehensive ocean freight and logistics services throughout the Caribbean Basin. Nineteen islands in the eastern and western Caribbean, Central America, and the South America countries of Guyana and Suriname will benefit from continuing focus on service and an extensive network of connectivity allowing customers to dependably get their products to the markets they serve. Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 123-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately-held family- and employee-owned company. The company provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets through several business lines including: Puerto Rico, Caribbean and Central America Liner Services; Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Also offered within these business segments are: offshore services, such as contract towing and transportation; ship assist and tanker escort; marine project design, engineering and management; salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership of Ardent; domestic and international vessel management and crewing; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at http://www.crowley.com.

From where will they sail?

 

Cuba cruise and ferry services get a little nearer

New regulations would allow Carnival's fathom brand to use Adonia as a floating base while in Cuba

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 — Obstacles facing cruise lines and ferry operators seeking to offer services from the the U.S. to Cuba continue to lessen. Today, the U.S. announced a slew of further changes to the restrictions imposed by the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

 

They will take effect on Monday, September 21, 2015, when they are published in the Federal Register. Coincidentally, or probaby not, that's the day before Pope Francis arrives in Washington, DC, from Cuba.

The Pope is widely credited with initiating the dialogue that led to the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relationship.

A fact sheet issued by the the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Commerce includes the following regulatory changes:

• Transportation by vessel of authorized travelers – between the United States and Cuba only and without stops in third countries – will be authorized by general license. Certain related lodging services aboard vessels used for such travel will also be authorized.
• License Exception Aircraft, Vessels, and Spacecraft (AVS) will authorize temporary sojourns to Cuba of certain categories of vessels. Eligible categories of vessels are cargo vessels for hire for use in the transportation of items; passenger vessels for hire for use in the transportation of passengers and/or items; and recreational vessels that are used in connection with travel authorized by the Treasury.
• License Exception AVS will authorize aircraft on temporary sojourn to remain in Cuba for up to 7 consecutive days and authorizes vessels on temporary sojourn to remain in Cuba for up to 14 consecutive days.

While there's no explanation as to how spacecraft got in there, the "temporary sojourn" authorization should be particularly useful to Carnival Corporation's start up brand fathom. It intends offering cultural exchange voyages to Cuba starting in May 2016, using the 704 passenger cruise ship as a "comfortable home base" during travelers stay on the island.

Cruise lines and ferry operators are now waiting for the Cuban permissions needed to initiate service.

Read the Treasury backgrounder HERE

 

This will be heavy

 

Industry fears law on container weight verification could bring cargo chaos

By Gavin van Marle

09.15.2015 · Posted in Land, Loadstar posts, Sea Add to favorites

Shippers, forwarders, shipping lines and container terminals “urgently” need to begin discussions over the practicalities of implementing the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new regulation on container weights.

That was one of the chief conclusions of Friday’s International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA) seminar on container weighing in London, with some delegates warning that the legislation, due on 1 July 2016, could lead to chaos.

The new requirements, formally an amendment to the IMO’s existing Safety of Life at Sea (Solas) regulations, have been designed to reduce the number of accidents globally caused by containers whose weights have been misdeclared by shippers and their agents.

The new law says they must verify the weight declared on the bill of lading. It has been criticised as difficult to enforce, while many sea freight buyers are said to be completely unaware of the legislation.

From next summer, shippers will have to prove the weight of their containers through one of two methods: weighing the loaded container (Method 1); or weighing the cargo and adding the tare weight of the container (Method 2).

Richard Brough, ICHCA technical advisor, said: “There is no exemption from weighing in some form – if you are a Method 2 shipper, you will still have to weigh the cargo, the calculation aspect comes from adding the cargo weight with the tare weight of the container.”

Washington-based liner shipping lobby group the World Shipping Council (WSC) was one of the proponents of the new legislation. It initially insisted on Method 1, but later acquiesced to shipper arguments, led by the Global Shippers Forum, that Method 2 would provide the same level of assurance to ships’ masters, ultimately be responsible for accepting or rejecting containers waiting to be loaded.

However, it will remain up to national jurisdictions to decide if they will accept both methods, and WSC senior vice president Lars Kjaer said the US had already decided it will only accept Method 1 as proof of the verified gross mass (VGM) of a container.

“But, come 1 July next year, there will be containers showing up at the gate without signed verification forms – so how do we manage that? What do we do with those boxes? The whole operational side needs to be discussed and sorted out,” he said.

In contrast, the UK’s enforcement body, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), has said it will accept Method 2, and has begun developing an accreditation scheme for UK shippers in concert with the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

MCA hazardous cargo advisor Keith Bradley said it was “essential that we make Method 2 work”, as with the right process it could be much more efficient.

“Many members involved in the UK’s maritime trade are already operating to a variety of standards, such as AEO or ISO9000, and many companies have enterprise resource systems (ERPs) such as SAP that means they will know the weight of their cargo.

“We have also had a very clear message from the port industry that it does not have the weighing equipment, nor does it want to invest in it. But ports have to consider what they are going to do if a box arrives at the port without a VGM,” he said.

UK shippers will need to apply for accreditation to Method 2, with the MCA set to audit applications. FTA director of global and European Policy Chris Welsh said the organisation would be launching a service to help its members with applying for accreditation.

However, John Foord, president designate of the Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents, questioned the viability of this approach, given the increasingly tight timeframe.

“It will be interesting to know if the 14,000 FTA members will all be accredited by 1 July 2016… I suspect that simply can’t happen, which means lots of UK exporters will have to use weighbridges.  But there isn’t a weighbridge near Felixstowe, for example, and there could be a significant deviations on road journeys to go via a weighbridge on the way to a port.

“There really could be a lot of deviation,” Mr Foord added, “and some of the shipping lines charge shippers £2 per mile. I can see shipper easily having to an extra £50-60 per container just because of this issue.”

 

’s Register First to Certify Small Commercial Ships in the Caribbean

 

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has become the first classification society to certify small commercial ships operating in the Caribbean.

 

After becoming the first classification society to issue Cargo Ship Safety and Small Commercial Safety Certificates to two Trinidad and Tobago vessels, LR was recently authorised by several Caribbean flag administrations to carry out surveys and issue certificates under new codes on their behalf.

 

As part of the survey and certification services, LR may undertake surveys for the following:

 

Code of Safety for Caribbean Cargo Ships (CCSS). This applies to ships of under 500gt. The administrations authorising LR are: The Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and St. Kitts & Nevis;

Code of Safety for Small Commercial Vessels operating in the Caribbean (SCV). This applies to ships up to 24 metres long. The administrations authorising LR are: The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago and St. Kitts & Nevis.

Both codes were developed under the auspices of the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding with the support of the International Maritime Organization and other flag administrations, principally the U.S. Coast Guard. The CCSS Code was first adopted in February 1996 and the SCV Code in May 2010.

 

”This has been quite a significant achievement as LR is the first class society to undertake any of this work on behalf of these flag administrations,” said Wendel George, Lead Surveyor and Marine Management Systems Auditor at Lloyd’s Register’s Trinidad office.

 

A flag administration is the department of government that has the legal jurisdiction to implement and regulate ships flagged in a particular country.

 

Now that we are involved in this business for smaller ships, it will serve as a stepping stone for us and shows our leadership in the world. It shows that we are concerned about the entire maritime industry and opens the door for us to meet all of our client’s needs, both large and small,” said George.

SeaLand and APL Select Port Everglades for Service to Latin America

BrowardCounty's Port Everglades will be the first and last U.S. calls for SeaLand and APL's North American Express Service (NAE/ACX) to Latin America beginning August 27, according to an announcement to customers posted by SeaLand.

 

SeaLand, an ocean freight shipping company recently revived by Maersk Line, the world's largest container shipping company, and APL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, a global transportation and logistics company, selected Florida International Terminal, LLC (FIT) at Port Everglades to provide cargo handling and stevedoring services.

 

The new service is expected to generate more than 20,000 container moves annually.

 

Florida Internacional Terminal, LLC (“FIT”) was formed in 2004 as a result of the association of two large Latin American Port Operators, SAAM and AGUNSA, both linked to the oldest and largest Chilean steamship companies CSAV (Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores) and CCNI (Compañía Chilena de Navegación Interoceánica), with the purpose to manage and operate a Marine facility located in Port Everglades, FL in the United States.

 

 

"The joint SeaLand/APL service is an excellent fit because Port Everglades is already a leader in the North-South trade lanes, particularly the perishables market, and the company is positioned to grow with us as we deepen and widen our channels and add berths for larger cargo ships," said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak. Port Everglades is investing more than $600 million in waterside improvements, and in the last year celebrated the opening of a 43-acre intermodal rail container transfer facility and a multitude of road improvements.

 

SeaLand/APL's NAE/ACX service will arrive in Port Everglades as a first-in call every Thursday from Manzanillo, Panama, before sailing to other U.S. East Coast ports and returning on Sundays as a last-out U.S. call before sailing to Cartagena, Colombia.

 

Considered a pioneer in the container shipping industry, SeaLand, which Maersk acquired in 1999, opened its headquarters in Broward County, FL, in the city of Miramar, earlier this year.

 

At the crossroads of north-south and east-west trade, BrowardCounty's Port Everglades is Florida's leading container port, handling more than one million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the industry standard measurement for container volumes) and serving as a gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.