Saturday’s alright for shipping…

The much anticipated announcement of a second container vessel calling on Prince Rupert finally made it to the news release stage on Thursday, as Cosco lines announced that starting on July 5, the Fairview Container port will see an increase in the number of vessels that pick up and deliver their cargo to Prince Rupert.

The Port of Prince Rupert announced the details of the increased port calls to Fairview through its newsletter 54 North, in which they featured some background on the COSCO lines plans to increase the throughput of Fairview with product destined for anxious suppliers in the American midwest.

The Daily News provided details of the announcement in Thursday’s paper while the Northern View had the story posted on line as well on Thursday.

It also became a hot story on a number of other locations as word quickly spread that the North Pacific Gateway is gaining more notice from shippers and suppliers alike.

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Newsletter confirms additional port ship expected
The Daily News
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pages one and three

China Ocean Shipping (COSCO) is adding Prince Rupert to the shipping line's CEN service, ensuring it will double its weekly calls to the Fairview intermodal container terminal, according to an article published this week in the port's newsletter 54 North.

The story says that the expanded service will begin with the 5,400 TEU (20-foot equivalent units) COSCO Hong Kong arriving on Sat., July 5.

"COSCO has received tremendous support on the single weekly sailings over Prince Rupert for the PNWS service, calling on South China and Yokohama," COSCO Americas Vice President Sales Tim Marsh is quoted as saying in the article.

"As a result of this outstanding success, and in response to the true needs expressed by North American importers and exporters, COSCO has elected to increase port calls to Prince Rupert."
"Considering the current soft market conditions and general decline in Asian imports through West Coast ports, the addition of a second line by COSCO, backed by their customers, clearly demonstrates that this new northern express trade corridor through Prince Rupert is meeting and exceeding expectations. COSCO would like to thank the Port of Prince Rupert, CN Rail and Maher Terminals for their innovative thinking that has sparked a new option for customers who are moving time sensitive cargo."

The story, which is distributed widely through the newsletter both in print and via the internet, goes on to state that COSCO's CEN Service originates in Dalian and calls on other Chinese ports of Xingang, Qingdao and Shanghai, then sails to Prince Rupert, the first North American West Coast port, before it calls on Long Beach and Oakland.

The CEN service, comprised of five container vessels ranging from 5,400 to 8,200 TEUs, also calls on Yokohama before completing its loop back in Dalian.

The efficient movement of weekly volume of containers through the new Fairview Terminal and along the new express trade corridor between Asia and the North American mid west continues to meet and exceed shippers' expectations, said the article in 54 North.

The number of containers has increased from 1,100 TEUs, when the weekly COSCO service began in November, to an average of nearly 1,650 TEUs a week by the end of May, it continued.
Volumes through the Port of Prince Rupert went up 40 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007 and the total tonnage for the first three months was 3.1 million metric tonnes, which was up from 2.2 million tonnes last year.

The sharp rise in throughput continues a fast upward trend for Prince Rupert following a strong 2007 that surpassed 10 million tonnes for the first time in a decade.

The 2007 total volume cargo - 10.6 million tonnes - was a 36.8 per cent increase over 2006 levels and a 237 per cent jump on the 2005.

Prince Rupert Port Authority President and CEO Don Krusel said in the article that increasing global demand for industrial feed stocks, including coal and petroleum coke and continued strong markets for agricultural products as well as the ramp up of new lines of business including containers and wood pellets, and the competitive advantages of shipping through Prince Rupert are all contributing factors to the Port's continued growth.