JOC Staff | Mar 21, 2013 3:15PM EDT
Following the announcement that the CKYH Alliance will call weekly at the Port of Jacksonville, Fla., beginning in mid-April, Jacksonville Port Authority and Hanjin Shipping (a member of the Alliance) have decided to suspend their terminal development contract to focus on growing volume on the new service.
“After a diligent, coordinated review of our plans, we have come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest and in the interest of the state and region to set aside the terminal development contract,” Roy Schleicher, Jaxport’s interim CEO, said in a written statement. “We will now commit our combined energies to filling the ships on each of these new rotations and expediting the process for authorization and funding of the 47-foot harbor-deepening project, which is of critical importance to the port and to our businesses.
“This decision should be seen for what it is: a prudent course of action for both Hanjin and the Jacksonville community, one that will ensure each partner maximizes the benefits of our joint operations, now and in the future,” Schleicher added.
The G6 Alliance shipping lines have also expanded their cooperation with Jaxport, adding the port to their new service beginning in May, including one rotation to and from Jacksonville through the Suez Canal, originating in Hong Kong, and a second through the Panama Canal, originating in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.