The Ocean Alliance, a collective of four shipping companies, will begin operations in Jacksonville beginning in May, the Jacksonville Port Authority announced April 8.
The alliance will offer direct container service through the Chesapeake Bay Express (CBX), according to a news release.
Operating weekly, the CBX container service is jointly provided by ocean carriers CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping Lines, Evergreen Marine Corp. and OOCL, which make up the Ocean Alliance.
“The addition of the Ocean Alliance further strengthens Jacksonville’s position as a strategic gateway for global trade,” JaxPort CEO Eric Green said in the release.
“This service expands routing flexibility between the Southeast United States and key Asian markets and underscores how our continued infrastructure investments are delivering efficient, reliable service for global carriers.”
With its agreement with the Ocean Alliance, JaxPort says it will offer service from all three of the world’s major shipping alliances: 2M, THE Alliance and the Ocean Alliance.
The Ocean Alliance, formed in 2017 and committed to operate until at least 2032, says that it is the world’s largest operational shipping network. It connects Asia to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North America’s east and west coasts.
In the United States, CBX operates out of Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; and now Jacksonville. Overseas, it operates in China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.
SSA Marine, the international container terminal operator at Blount Island, will provide CBX with loading, unloading and cargo-securing operations in Jacksonville.