Expect to see more container traffic moving through Port Saint John in the weeks and months ahead.
Hapag-Lloyd, one of three container lines serving the port, is adding a second weekly service.
The expansion comes less than a year after the company made its inaugural service call in the city.
Craig Estabrooks, CEO of Port Saint John, said the news is a sign of the growth and momentum they have been experiencing coming to be.
“Hapag-Lloyd has had a lot of success and, from what we understand, they really see the value of what the Port of Saint John offers for their clients and the service has gone quite well,” Estabrooks said in an interview.
Estabrooks said Canadian Pacific (CP) is a major player from a rail standpoint getting the cargo to its destinations throughout Canada and the U.S. Midwest.
CP regained access to Port Saint John in 2020 after acquiring the Central Maine & Quebec Railway and through connections with the New Brunswick Southern and Eastern Maine railways.
According to the company, that link provides the shortest route between Atlantic Canada and North American inland markets.
“With the supply chain disruption that’s happening around the world, it’s a new offering from Northern Europe into North America with the Port of Saint John being the only call in North America,” said Estabrooks.
“It’s a rapid service that Hapag really sees as an opportunity to alleviate some of those bottlenecks we’re seeing.”
Estabrooks believes the new offering from Hapag-Lloyd, combined with growth in existing services, can double container traffic over last year’s numbers.
Nearly 87,000 containers moved through Port Saint John last year with overall tonnage increasing to more than 617,000 metric tonnes.
Port Saint John is undergoing a $205-million modernization project which will double its container capacity to 300,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). In the years ahead, the port hopes to increase its capacity even further to 800,000 TEUs.
Estabrooks said the additional call from Hapag-Lloyd will bring benefits to the entire port community.
“More cargo means more jobs and prosperity for the waterfront and more opportunity. The more ships you have in, the more movements from a container standpoint, the more labour you need,” he said.
We are pleased to welcome @HapagLloydAG’s North Europe Express to Port Saint John. Our supply chain partners at @DpworldCanada, @CanadianPacific & NB Southern are focused on delivering world class service to meet current demand and support additional growth. https://t.co/7RFSXhjsKz
— Port Saint John (@PortSaintJohn) April 25, 2022
