Norfolk – The Port of Virginia will benefit from MSC's (Mediterranean Shipping Co.) plans to shuffle the U.S. East Coast port rotation of its Golden Gate Service from the Far East in February.
The service will make double call at The Port of Virginia, meaning it will stop in Virginia twice during its East Coast port rotation; its last stop will be in Virginia before heading back to Asia. That last stop is important because MSC can take advantage of the deepest shipping channels on the East Coast and sail full-laden ships without regard to depth or height restrictions.
"It gives us the opportunity to capture more export traffic and take advantage of MSC's big ships — load them heavy — and capitalize on our 50-foot channels," said Virginia Port Authority Executive Director Jerry A. Bridges."We expect to pick up more export cargo coming New York, Northern Virginia/Washington, DC and North Carolina."
In the Golden Gate service MSC employs vessels that are in excess of 9,200 TEUs. At other East Coast ports those vessels cannot operate fully-laden because of depth or height restrictions. Making Virginia the last East Coast call sets MSC up to begin capitalizing on the on-dock rail capabilities offered at The Port of Virginia and the economies those large ships offer.
"While other East Coast ports are battling one another over federal dollars to dredge to get ready for the opening of an expanded Panama Canal, Virginia is ready," Bridgess said. "It is decisions like the one we announced today that prove we're ready for the big ships that will come through both the Panama and Suez canals."
The revised port rotation of the Golden Gate Service will be: Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Shanghai, Ningbo, Singapore, Salalah, Suez Canal transit, New York, Norfolk, Baltimore, Savannah, Freeport (Bahamas), Charleston, Norfolk, Suez Canal transit, Jeddah, Colombo, Singapore, Chiwan and back to Hong Kong.
Above: The MSC Bruxelles, the largest ship ever to call Virginia, is among the vessels deployed in the Golden Gate Service.
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