North Carolina Ports set for arrival of new container services

The ZIM Shanghai's inaugural port of call on June 18 marked the fourth new container service activated at the Port of Wilmington in the past two months, the North Carolina State Ports Authority announced yesterday.

North Carolina Ports has doubled its container services so far this year and is set for unprecedented growth in its next fiscal year, port authority officials said in a press release.

ZIM recently added the Port of Wilmington to its Z7S all-water Asia-U.S. East Coast service rotation. The weekly service provides access to major markets in South China, Southeast Asia and India Subcontinent.

Known for its speed to market, the Z7S service is the only container service calling the Port of Wilmington using the Suez Canal, port authority officials said.

The container carrier's Z7S string will feature 11 vessels averaging 5,000 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in size. Its rotation includes direct access to Da Chan Bay, Yantian, Cai Mep, Port Kelang and Colombo. Outside of Yantian, each of these port calls are new to North Carolina Ports.

CSX provides intermodal rail service at the Port of Wilmington.

To prepare for growth, North Carolina Ports is expected to spend more than $150 million on its infrastructure over the next few years. Recently, the authority ordered two New Panamax ship-to-shore cranes with an option to purchase two more from Shanghai Zhenjua Heavy Industry Co.