Port of Oakland secures first-call service with MSC

The Port of Oakland has secured its fourth first-call service in 2021 with shipping liners MSC launching a route from Oakland to Southeast Asia from 6 November.

The route will link Oakland with ports in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and will provide further opportunities for Oakland to grow its import business.

“We’re excited to welcome MSC’s service because Southeast Asia is an important, growing market,” said Bryan Brandes, Maritime Director at the Port of Oakland.

“We’re also gratified that the shipping industry continues to acknowledge Oakland’s role in world trade by adding more and more capacity.”

MSC’s new Sentosa Service also allows cargo owners to avoid the current congestion crisis in southern California ports congestion from the port. This comes after the report that 148 vessels were congested at the ports of San Pedro Bay, Los Angeles, and Long Beach on 27 September.

This follows the news that first-call services from CMA CGM, Matson and Wan Hai Lines have also been introduced in Oakland this year.

Matson‘s service with the Port of Oakland calls at ports in Ningbo and Shanghai, Long Beach and Honolulu. Launched in July 2021, the Matson CCX service departs from China three out of every five weeks.

Similarly, CMA CGM linked China and the Port of Oakland with the launch of its route in February 2021. This first-call service utilises ships carrying 5,000 to 6,000 TEU and was the first time in over a year Oakland was offered a first-call service.

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/pork-of-oakland-secures-fourth-first-call-service-in-2021/