Charleston, SC - The first ship in a new, all-water service connecting the growing Southeast U.S. region with South Korea and Central and South China, called the Port of Charleston this week, the first in a weekly service calling North Charleston Terminal.
The South China East Coast Express 2 (SCE2) service is jointly operated by the Grand Alliance carriers of Hapag-Lloyd, OOCL and NYK Line, along with ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and Hyundai Merchant Marine.
The first ship was the NYK Rigel. International ports of call on the service are Busan, South Korea; Shanghai, Xiamen, Da Chan Bay, Hong Kong and Yantian, China; Manzanillo, Panama; and Kingston, Jamaica.
Exports from South Carolina to North Asia continue to demonstrate strong growth. The Southeast U.S. is an expanding consumer base for import goods and continues to grow in population. Over the past 10 years, population growth in the South outpaced any other U.S. region at 14.3 percent, according to 2010 Census figures.
The SCE2 adds 52 ship calls a year, boosting economic impacts and jobs across the local maritime community and expanding business opportunities for the hundreds of South Carolina companies that rely on international trade.
About the South Carolina State Ports Authority
The South Carolina State Ports Authority, established by the state's General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston and Georgetown, handling international commerce valued at more than $50 billion annually while receiving no direct taxpayer subsidy. An economic development engine for the state, port operations facilitate 260,800 jobs across South Carolina and nearly $45 billion in economic activity each year. For more information, visit www.scspa.com.