Hapag-Lloyd is continuing to focus on the growing market in East Africa. With annual growth rates of six percent, the region tops the list on the African continent. Kenya, in particular, is developing with significantly rising import and export figures as well as massive investments in public infrastructure.

In April 2018 Hapag-Lloyd launched the East Africa Service (EAS), its first dedicated service to East Africa. The weekly service sails from Jeddah to Mombasa, and from there to Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, and directly back to Jeddah. After a successful start this service will be expanded in September with a weekly connection to and from Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Mombasa, and Dar es Salaam. The so called EAS2 will replace the current EAS service and directly link the Arabian Gulf and the West Coast of India with East Africa.

Hapag-Lloyd also offers inland transportation to and from East African hinterland locations of Bujumbura (Burundi), Kigali (Rwanda), Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo), Lusaka (Zambia) and Kampala (Uganda).

The carrier’s East Africa Service from and to Kenya is developing positively, noted Dheeraj Bhatia, Managing Director Africa, Middle East and Indian Subcontinent for Hapag-Lloyd AG. “After only four months in operation, we have significantly expanded our business with overall vessel utilization beyond our expectations,” he said. “With our upcoming new EAS2 service we will be able to offer even better connections from and to East Africa. All in all we are experiencing growing client demand which demonstrates the economic potential of Kenya.”

The GDP of Kenya has grown significantly in the last two years, rising by an average of approximately six percent. Kenya primarily exports coffee and tea, but also vegetables, fruits and textiles. The main imports are vehicles, spare parts, yarns, machines and electronic goods.

United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao has announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) will establish a new, dedicated Gateway office in Paducah, Kentucky. Gateway offices provide assistance to public ports and state and local officials in addressing transportation congestion relief and improving freight and passenger movement.

The new location and resources will allow MARAD to expand in the area around the Paducah hub, and be better able to support the Inland Marine Transportation System, its ports, service providers and vessel operators. Paducah’s proximity to three major river confluences will support stakeholders working to create a strong transportation network on our inland waterways.

“The Paducah-McCracken County Riverport is a multi-modal center, with waterway, rail, and road connections, and with this level of maritime activity, it makes sense to place a Gateway office in Paducah,” said Chao. “This new Gateway Office will support Paducah’s important role as an inland waterway crossroads between the Tennessee, Ohio, Cumberland and Mississippi rivers, as well as a major dry dock center.”

MARAD has nine other Gateway offices in proximity to the nation’s largest ports. The Gateway offices were established to act as liaisons between maritime communities, state and local authorities and their federal counterparts to identify intermodal challenges and solutions and assist in identifying Federal and state funding opportunities.

“Enhancing MARAD’s impact nationwide is critical for the continued success of the maritime industry,” said Maritime Administrator Mark H. Buzby.

The Inland Waterways Gateway Office in Paducah will have an area of responsibility which includes all or portions of the following Kentucky-adjacent states: West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee. The Paducah office will also provide support to MARAD’s St. Louis Gateway Office for the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Officials from the Port of Los Angeles and APL welcomed the first arrival of APL’s new premium cargo delivery service, Eagle Express X (EXX). The new weekly China-to-Los Angeles ocean freight service provides faster, expedited transit for cargo owners looking for a more on-time, speed-to-market delivery option.

Features of the Eagle Express X service include time-guaranteed transit from China to Los Angeles — 11 days from Shanghai and 12 days from Ningbo with attractive origin cutoffs and 100 percent guaranteed space and equipment.  When EXX inbound containers are discharged at the Eagle Marine Service (EMS) terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, they are immediately loaded onto specially reserved smart chassis and directly parked in a dedicated EXX yard within the terminal for same day availability. Exclusive EXX gates have been established and no appointments are necessary.

“The Eagle Express X is yet another way that we are responding to the evolving needs of our cargo customers,” said Gene Seroka, executive director at the Port of Los Angeles.

The service is supported by APL’s White Glove Customer Service teams in Asia and Nashville for its North America customers.

“APL is always looking for ways to provide differentiated services for our customers,” said Ed Aldridge, president of APL North America. “The Eagle Express X (EXX) is our new initiative which provides our valuable customers with a cost efficient air freight alternative for its urgent cargo and a first class service for its ocean shipments from origin to destination. The customer support for this new expedited service has been both exceptional and exciting.”

The EXX service will soon benefit from new technology used at the Port of Los Angeles. Developed in partnership with GE Transportation, the Port Optimizer is a first-of-its-kind cloud-based portal that digitizes maritime shipping data for cargo owners and supply chain stakeholders through secure access channels. The technology platform greatly improves goods movement, predictability and planning.