The Jacksonville Port Authority announced Dec. 4 that Ocean Network Express will begin offering direct container ship service in May from Northeast Florida to seven ports in Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Egypt.
The weekly West India North America service will be operated by a fleet of nine ONE vessels.
The port rotation will be Bin Qasim, Pakistan; Hazira, Nhava Sheva and Mundra in India; Damietta, Egypt; Algeciras, Spain; New York; Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville; Charleston, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Damietta and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It is JaxPort’s first direct container service to the seven overseas ports. The ports in Jeddah and Spain are major transshipment hubs in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, JaxPort said.
“We are proud of our partnership with ONE, which has now opened up a new gateway for us,” JaxPort CEO Eric Green said in a news release.
“These new port calls and connections will link Jacksonville to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, attracting more cargo and the jobs it supports to our city and state.”
Common commodities on the service are expected to include consumer goods such as electronics, perishable food items, and retail goods including textiles and apparel, JaxPort said.
“The addition of this service is a significant step in our commercial strategy to be a true global port that offers direct connections to the world’s major trade lanes,” JaxPort Chief Commercial Officer Robert Peek said in the release.
“South Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East all play an important role in world trade, and importers and exporters are now able to access these regions directly through JAXPORT.”
ONE also offers service from JaxPort to destinations in Asia and Canada.