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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Grand Bahama
Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - On Sunday, 1st February, 2015, the Freeport Container Port (FCP) welcomed the Maersk Kotka, the first Maersk vessel as part of the 2M alliance to call at Freeport since the announcement of the Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) between Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The 10-year VSA involves the Asia – Europe, transatlantic and transpacific trades and began in early January. The agreement, which is known as 2M, encompasses 193 vessels with a capacity of 2.4m TEUs deployed on 22 strings. FCP executives revealed that Freeport figures prominently in the new agreement as one of the 77 selected ports of call. Further, FCP is the only transshipment hub in the region to service 2m cargo from Asia and Europe to United States East Coast and Gulf. Upon arrival of the Maersk Kotka, a Welcome to commemorate the first Maersk vessel was held on board the vessel late Sunday and a plaque was presented to the captain before the vessel departed.
FCP is the transshipment hub of the Americas and has the deepest and largest man-made harbour in the Caribbean with MSC as its major customer. According to FCP, with 2M, there is an opportunity for FCP to gain more volume with Maersk as a stand-alone client. There now is a greater opportunity for Maersk to bring their volumes on the same vessel and use Freeport to build its network to the United States East Coast or the Caribbean. As it is centrally located at the intersection of major North America, South America, Far East and European trade routes, FCP plans to seize the opportunity to make Freeport home to two of the world’s largest shipping lines.
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